Moonlight
by Just Another Angry Feminist
Summary: I never knew you could hold moonlight in your hands 'til the night I held you.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Welcome to my first Teddy/Victoire story. I love them so much but have never posted a story for them. I wanted to do my own spin on writing one, so this isn't necessarily cannon compliant.**

 **With that in mind, anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling and not me.**

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I giggled as Allegro flew faster through the sky, tightening my grip around his waist as I shrieked with laughter. He and I had been seeing each other for about three months, well, _seeing each other_ was one way to put it -I described it as snogging more than we talked. He'd been out of Hogwarts for a few years now, and I snuck out to go adventuring with him a lot. Tonight, we'd snogged under a tree and got a bit handsy before we were run off by a groundskeeper. Now we were just flying around on his new broom, a top of the line Skyracer 3000. It was the same broom he flew when he played for the Chudley Cannons, and I was awestruck at how fast it went. I was currently begging my maman and dad to get me one for my upcoming birthday. I'd be an unstoppable seeker with one!

Judging by the moon, it was after three in the morning and I had to be back soon in order to sneak back into the Burrow. All the cousins were staying there, a perfect cover for me to break curfew and see the boy my dad would NEVER allow me to see. That just made him all the more alluring, and I'd never been one to turn down something forbidden. I leaned forward so I could whisper in his ear, nibbling on it seductively just to tease him a little.

"It's late, you should take me back," I whispered. "If I get caught, it won't be so easy to sneak out next time."

His cheeks shifted as he smiled and leaned back into me, turning in the sky to head back to the Burrow. "We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

We landed a few yards from the leaning house and dismounted, ducking behind the tree line to stay hidden as we said our goodbyes. Some of the cousins liked to get late night snacks and we were clear to see out the kitchen window. It just took the loose lips of James or Freddie, and my days of sneaking out would be over.

Allegro grabbed my waist aggressively and pulled me closer, a bit too hard, but I let it slide. "Then you'd better kiss me quick."

I did as he said, expecting him to take control the second he did. He pressed me against the hard bark covering one of the trees behind me, the roughness of the oak digging into the space bared between my top and skirt. It wasn't the most pleasant feeling, but the boy sure knew how to kiss and make up for it.

By the time we parted, I felt light on my feet and practically floated inside. I watched Allegro take off from the grass and disappear into the clouds from the kitchen. I'd just turned to go upstairs when I heard the couch in the sitting room creak as someone stood up from it.

Shit! I scurried over to the darkest corner of the kitchen and hoped I blended well enough to go unseen. I saw the blue hair first and released the breath I'd been holding, it was only Teddy. I stepped out of the shadows and saw him already looking at me, a displeased look on his face. The norm for us honestly.

"What?" I asked in a quiet voice, getting some pumpkin juice from the fridge and hopping onto the counter.

He let out a harsh breath through his nose before he answered me. "What the hell were you doing out so late with Allegro Valentene?"

Everything about him was tense down to the rigidness in his knees. It took one glance out the window to figure out why -the moon hung full in the sky tonight just behind the clouds and it was affecting his mood. Though he didn't transform like his father, he had a lot of werewolfish tendencies… his temper included.

"Because dad doesn't like him so we have to sneak around," I replied in a bored voice. "It's easier here with all the kids running around, Gran loses track of who's here and who's not. She wouldn't be surprised to find me in the morning when she didn't see me the night before."

"He's notorious for playing around with girls until he's bored then tossing them away like yesterday's coffee grounds," he spat, crossing his arms over his chest as he grew closer to me. "He also doesn't take no for an answer."

I took a drink of my juice and sat it by my hips, deciding to get sassy in return. "I'm almost seventeen, I can do as I please! If I want to see him, I'll see him."

He barked out a laugh and I saw his eyes flash, that was the wrong thing to say. "Exactly, you're sixteen and he was a year ahead of me in school. He's too old for you."

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Oh, yeah, because you never slept with people my age before! You're really one to talk about playing with people until you're bored."

His hair flared deep red as his anger intensified. "That's different!"

I scoffed outright this time, hopping down from the counter and rounding on him. Never mind that I was nearly a foot smaller, my anger made me feel ten feet tall. I was 1/8 Veela after all, my temper was pretty intense, too.

"Why? Because you're a boy? You're allowed to date younger blokes and birds, but I can't date someone older than me? That's not fair!"

"The world isn't fair!" he replied, casting a silencing charm around us before the fight could wake everyone. "You're going to get hurt by him."

I narrowed my eyes at him and replied, "Then I will! It's my life, I can live it however I please. You're not my father, you're not my boyfriend, so you don't get a say in what I do with the boys I hang out with!"

"Why are you always such a brat?" he shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration. "It's like you went through puberty, came into your Veela, and turned into a complete bitch."

I gasped at this brash words, trying to stop myself from flinching like I wanted to. "You just think I'm a bitch because you're not the one I'm sneaking out to see!"

I expected him to throw snarling words of his own at me in return, but he remained silent. His chest was rising and falling with his rapid breathing, but he didn't say a word. The clouds shifted in the sky and the moonlight filtered into the kitchen, hitting him directly and making him flinch. My anger dissipated immediately as I rushed forward, old habits died hard.

"Hey, let's get you to bed and continue this argument later, yeah?" I suggested, brushing his wild hair out of his face. "Both of us can be angry at any time, so it'll work out fine."

I could tell he wanted to argue, but he was too weak under the direct moonlight. He allowed me to lead him back up the stairs to the ladder that lead to the attic. That was his room whenever he stayed, making it even harder to get him to bed. By the time we were up in the attic, I was out of breath and Teddy was sweating bullets.

"Let's get these layers off," I said in a gentle voice, unzipping his hoodie and stripping it off his shoulders.

When he was down to just his pants and a t-shirt, I tucked him into his cot. He was embarrassed I'd been the one to see him this way, I could see it written on his face. We'd been best friends for a long time, I knew almost everything about him. Then things changed and we stopped talking and hanging out, today was actually the first time I'd seen him since Christmas… but that wasn't the point.

"Do you need anything?" I asked awkwardly, shuffling my feet against the anciet hardwood underneath me. "Water? A wet flannel? A shot of Firewhisky?"

That drew a haggard laugh out of him before it petered off into a bit of a wheeze. "No, I'm good. It's happened every month for the last five years."

I remembered spending full moons with him at his Gram's place when I was younger. His hair was pale blue against the pillow under him, his energy zapped. It reminded me of thirteen-year-old Teddy going through his first full moon and tugged at a part of me I didn't want to see right now.

"Yeah, I remember," I replied before tucking tail and heading to the ladder. "Goodnight, dick."

"'toire," he said quietly, making me freeze on the spot at the vulnerability in his voice and the use of a nickname I hadn't heard in a long time. "Seeing as Gran Molly doesn't know you're here, do you want to stay with me?"

He told me when I was eleven his full moons were easier when I was with him, I'd never forgotten that. I just never imagined he'd ask me to stay with him ever again. We couldn't be civil to each other for a second after everything happened.

I turned to look at him, tucking my hair behind my ear nervously. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"Even now you're making me beg," he joked meagerly, wincing as his muscles spasmed under his skin. "'toire, I want you to stay… please?"

I swallowed thickly and nodded, sitting at the foot of the bed to take off my sneakers. Then I looked around awkwardly until I saw a folded t-shirt to change into sitting on a trunk under the window. I gestured for Teddy to close his eyes before changing out of my top and skirt into his shirt and sliding into bed with him.

We shuffled around awkwardly, the cot hardly big enough for him, much less the two of us. He eventually settled with his head against my chest as I ran my fingers through his hair soothingly. It felt like we were friends again, but I knew we weren't. The fight we were no doubt going to have in the morning was going to hurt like a bitch after being this close to him again.

Despite knowing that, I held him and sang a lullaby my grand-mère used to sing to me when I stayed with her and my grand-père when I was a kid. I felt the tension in his shoulders slowly sinking away as his breathing evened out against my neck. I followed him a few minutes later, pushing my anxiety to the back of my mind. I'd deal with that in the morning.

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 **Thanks for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you think so far, I'd really appreciate it.**


	2. Chapter 2

Movement in my bed woke me the next morning. It took me a couple seconds to remember where I was, but I freaked a little when I saw Teddy looking at me already. Everything from last night came rushing back and I felt my eyes grow big. Things between us were always a powder keg, but they almost exploded last night. That made me incredibly nervous for this morning, it was going to hurt like no other when we fought.

"How do you feel this morning?" I asked, sitting up and pulling my legs under the baggy t-shirt to press against my chest.

His lips twitched like he wanted to smile at my actions but caught himself. "Tired but better."

I swallowed, trying to ignore the awkwardness building between us. "I'm glad, you didn't look too good last night."

Things almost felt like they used to between us, save the pesky awkwardness. It would've been so easy to get lost in that feeling, but I knew it wasn't real. Too many bridges had been burned for us to ever be friends again, we'd been too harsh and cruel to each other to ever be anything more than familiar faces.

"I should go before James or Freddie come looking for you," I finally said, standing up and gathering my clothes from his floor.

"Victoire," he called as I made moves to lower the ladder. "Thanks, but I still don't like you seeing Allegro Valentene. He's a prat."

"Pot, meet kettle," I retorted, going down the ladder and pushing it back into place.

I grabbed my bag from Aunt Ginny's old room, being careful not to wake the girls sleeping in there, and made my way to the bathroom. I'd stashed the bag here a while ago with a couple different outfits for me to change into. I switched them out on occasion, so I had new clothes whenever I snuck out to see Allegro.

The longer I stayed in the shower, the angrier I got. Who was Teddy to tell me I couldn't see Allegro because he was a prat? Teddy Lupin was the world's biggest prat! He dated (shagged) a bunch of people who were younger than him. Allegro was only three years older than me, Teddy definitely shagged people that much younger than him. He slept with one of my best mates fifth year for thestrals' sake!

When I was dressed and out of the bathroom, I went on a search to find him and give him a piece of my mind. He was sitting in the living room with James, Albus, and Freddie. They were playing Exploding Snap by the look of things, but that was about to change. Without saying anything, I grabbed Teddy's arm and drug him outside past the shed to where we wouldn't be overheard.

Then I rounded on him and asked, "Where do you get off telling me I can't see Allegro? Do you not remember Sutter Gaunt? You shagged him when he was a fifth year and you were a seventh year! Does the age rule only apply to me?"

I chose to leave out all the messy details involved because he knew about them as well as I did. It was part of the reason we stopped communicating.

He winced at the memory before plowing forward. "He was hardly a virgin, it's different."

My face flamed at the insinuation. "What makes you think I'm a virgin?"

He fixed me with a look, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because I still know you as well as you know me, best mates or not. If you'd had sex, you wouldn't be so defensive over Valentene. Plus, I know you'd never shag someone you were sneaking out to see.

"Also, while we're ont eh topic of him. You need to be careful, I've heard a stories about him taking whatever he wanted… even if it wasn't consensual," he continued, making me roll my eyes and ignore him.

Unfortunately, he'd hit the nail on the head about me not sneaking out to see someone I'd lost my virginity to and it just made my frustration grow. "You don't get to do that!"

"What?"

"You don't get to read me so easily," I shouted, anguished tears burning my eyes. "You don't get to say things like that when you're the one who didn't want me!"

Silence engulfed us at my outburst, it felt like even the birds stopped chirping. That was something I'd never said aloud. We both knew what happened, but we never talked about it after the fight. His rejection was a betrayal, there was no other way to put it. Everything that happened after was just icing on the cake.

The last thing I wanted was to cry in front of him and it was getting harder to keep my tears at bay. This argument brought up all the feelings from our fight like it was happening all over again. When I was sure he wasn't going to say anything, I turned and went back to the Burrow. I used the Floo to go home without saying anything to anyone inside.

Once I was home, I went straight to my room and burrowed under my covers before I started crying. It wasn't fair, I just wanted to be happy with a boy who wanted me, but Teddy couldn't let me have that.

I had a crush on him for as long as I could remember. We'd grown up together, most of my earliest memories have him in them. The two years he was at Hogwarts and I was home alone were the worst years of my life. Then I was finally eleven and got to go, but we were Sorted into different Houses -me a Slytherin and he a Hufflepuff. Regardless, he used the Marauder's Map to help us sneak out and go to the Room of Requirement to hang out during the night.

When I was fifteen and he was seventeen, I decided to do something to get him to finally notice me. Every other boy at Hogwarts started drooling over me the second I was twelve and came into my Veela when I started puberty except him. He continued to treat me like a little sister, and that was the last thing I wanted. I knew I didn't have the courage to go up to him quite yet, so I did what I thought was the next best thing -I went out with one of his mates.

Perseus wasn't the most eloquent, but he was attractive and helped get Teddy's attention. At first, Teddy was protective and that was all. Then, as the relationship went on, he started to be short with Perseus, shouting at him with little provocation. My naïve fifteen-year-old heart thought that meant he was jealous, so I broke up with Perseus and decided to make my move on Teddy.

I had it all planned out. I was going to ask him to meet me in the Room and tell him how I felt once we were alone. Things went according to plan until he told me he didn't return my feelings. Actually, he flat out told me he'd never see me that way and was only trying to protect me from Perseus because he only wanted to be with me so he could shag a Veela. Then, as if to prove a point, Teddy ended up shagging Sutter, one of my closest friends, so I understood he really didn't see me that way. That was the end of our friendship, both with Sutter and with Teddy, and the final time we spoke.

No one in the family knew why we'd fallen out with each other. They just knew we couldn't be in the same room very long without me making some flimsy excuse to leave. I'd hardened where he was concerned since I was fifteen… except for my lapse in judgement last night. There was no way I could leave him when he asked me to stay so sweetly.

I was under my covers when Dominique came into my room and crawled under with me. She didn't ask any questions, she just laid beside me. I couldn't tell you how long we stayed under there, me crying and her holding me. She wasn't just my sister, she was one of my best friends, too. There wasn't a single secret between us.

She didn't ask any questions until I'd stopped crying and pushed the covers off our heads. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I turned my back to her and she immediately started French braiding my hair after we sat up. It was what we always did when one of us was upset. When she first started Hogwarts and was placed in Ravenclaw, she'd been so upset because she wasn't with me. I'd snuck into her Common Room and sat with her in front of the fire, braiding her hair as she told me all about her classes. We still kept the tradition alive, meeting up once a month to talk when we were at Hogwarts.

"You know I saw Allegro last night. He dropped me off at the Burrow around four in the morning and I snuck back in," I started, pulling my knees up and resting my chin on them. "Teddy caught me and started yelling at me, saying that Allegro was only going to hurt me because he just used girls. So I started shouting back that he did the same thing to the girls and boys he hooked up with. The row would've kept going if the clouds didn't break open so the moonlight hit him directly. He got sick almost immediately and I took him up the to attic. He asked me to stay and I did, then things changed this morning.

"For a minute after we first woke up, things felt like they used to between us. Then he called Allegro a prat and everything exploded. I told him he was the one who didn't want me so he didn't get to decide who I dated," I finished, biting my bottom lip to stop anymore tears from falling. "It hurt so much because we were so close last night. I knew it was gonna sting when it all fell apart this morning, but nothing like this."

Dominque was quiet as she mulled over what I told her. She was very thoughtful, more so than anyone else in our family. It was a surprise to no one but her when she was Sorted into Ravenclaw. After she thought for a while, whatever came out of her mouth was usually profound and life-altering.

"Are you sure he didn't lie back then?" she finally asked after she tied off both the braids and I turned back around to look at her.

"I don't think boys who fancy you shag your friend after they reject you," I responded dejectedly, pulling my knees back up.

"But he acted like a jealous boyfriend when he saw you with Allegro," she pointed out. Then added, "Allegro Valentene _is_ a prat, by the way."

I sighed pointedly and replied, "Yes, I'm aware. I'm not with him because of his congeniality, I'm with him because he kisses superbly."

"And because daddy said you couldn't see him," Dom added.

"…that too," I lamented. "But that's not the point. The point is I still have feelings for Teddy, I just pushed them away and last night brought them back up, right?"

"Either that or you're not over his rejection," she suggested. "You've never been turned down before. Your ego took a hit when Teddy rejected you so fiercely, not saying what he did was right because it wasn't, but you were too young to be with him then."

"That's ridiculous, Dom! I was fifteen and he was seventeen, that's barely anything," I argued with a hard face.

"The fact that you're arguing further proves you were too young. Imagine me being with a boy in your year," she suggested, leaning back against my headboard.

Fury coursed through me at the thought of any of them even _thinking_ about touching her. That made things fall into perspective, I was mentally too young to be with him. Unfortunately, that didn't make up for him never apologizing for what he did in the two years since it happened. Almost seventeen and nineteen didn't have as big of a mental maturity gap.

"Whatever fight you're having has been going on long enough. I think you need to sit like responsible adults and hash it out," she told me finally. "It's hard on the family. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny walk on eggshells every time they bring Teddy along, and maman and daddy are anxious when you're there too."

No one ever warned me how disastrous it was to have a crush on someone so close to your family. Especially when that crush went unreciprocated. At least I originally thought it was unreciprocated, until I started thinking more about what Dom said about Teddy acting like a jealous boyfriend.

I got up from my bed and dug around in the chest at the foot of it for a few minutes. When I found the scrapbook I was looking for, I sat back down and opened it on my lap. There were tons of pictures from family get togethers when I was a little kid, and I was with Teddy in almost every one of them. In every single picture, he was looking at me with a smitten, awed grin. It wasn't the way you looked at someone you thought of as a younger sister.

"Look at him, he doesn't look at me like a little sister," I argued, pointing at a picture of us together.

It was outside Shell Cottage from the summer before he went to Hogwarts. We were inseparable the entire summer, even in my nine year old brain I knew it was going to change everything when he left. I had my hair in pigtails with a white sundress and Teddy had jeans with holes in both the knees and a striped shirt, his hair bubblegum pink. I was smiling with my front tooth missing and his arm around my neck while he just looked at me for a second before turning to smile at the camera, his hair turning back to its normal blue.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up again and get hurt. Teddy Lupin isn't worth that, no boy is," she said gently, taking the book from my lap and hugging me. "I don't want you to be that sad and destructive again… anymore than you already are."

I wasn't _that_ destructive… just a little bit. Case and point, me sneaking out to see Allegro when the risk of getting caught was really high and I knew about his reputation. Also seeing a boy I knew would break my heart was pretty destructive… okay, so Dom was right.

"I'm not getting my hopes up, I swear," I told her honestly, putting the book back in my trunk and shutting it. "I don't even think he realizes he ever had feelings for me."

"You've picked a wonderful time to dissect your relationship with Teddy. Your birthday party is Saturday at the Burrow, and he'll probably be there," Dom told me delicately, bracing herself for my reaction.

I let out a frustrated noise and threw one of my pillows at the wall before flopping backward. "Of course, my seventeenth birthday wouldn't be complete without a fight!"

Dom gave my leg a sympathetic pat. "Want to go make some breakfast instead of wallowing in self-pity?"

"No, but I will," I sighed, getting up from my bed and following her downstairs.

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 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I got my first review! Thanks so much for enjoying the story, I really appreciate it!**

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My birthday came sooner than I thought because I was dreading it. Maybe not dreading my birthday per say but having to see Teddy again made me want to skip the party completely. I knew that wasn't an option, but that didn't stop me from entertaining it in my head anyway.

"Happy birzday, ma fille chérie!" maman sang when I came down the stairs Saturday morning. "How doez it feel to be zeventeen?"

I tried my best to give her a genuine smile as I sat between Dom and Louis. "It's pretty awesome."

Dad came in from the backyard and dropped a kiss on each of our heads before kissing maman on the lips. "Good morning, my beautiful family. How's my birthday girl feeling?"

Even if I was disobeying him, I loved my dad dearly so my smile was real this time. "I'm a little tired but excited to eat Gran's birthday dinner tonight."

That much was true, Gran was the best cook in the entire world. One of my favorite things about being home for the summer was eating her food as much as possible. She always made everyone's favorite for their birthday, and mine was no different. I would arrive at the Burrow to find her cooking braised chicken with honey sauce, her version of my favorite French dish.

"Are you wearing zee gray dress we bought when we went shopping zee ozer day?" maman asked as she sat down with a cup of tea cradled in her hands.

I nodded, getting up to get a plate of food for myself. "Yeah, with my open toed black booties."

"You will look gorgeous, ma fille chérie!" she reassured me before sipping her tea. "What about you, Dominique? What are you wearing?"

She and Dom started their normal conversation on the unimportance of clothes. It bothered maman to no end that Dominique had no interest in clothes or fashion in general, she cared far more about school than she cared about anything else.

Dad came up behind me while I put a couple sausages on my plate along with eggs. He dug his fingers into my ribs and made me squeal, nearly dropping my plate. I put it on the counter and dad's tickling got worse before he lifted me over his shoulder to spin me around. I was squealing with laughter, the first happy feeling I'd had since the fight with Teddy Monday morning.

When he sat me back on my feet, he kissed my forehead and said, "You can't be sad on your birthday. It's against the rules."

"What rules?" I asked, getting my plate and heading to the table.

"The ones I just made," he retorted easily.

"How very Slytherin of you, dad!" I teased, making him sneer at me playfully before getting food of his own.

"Such harsh words from my own flesh and blood," he complained, sitting across from me and beside maman. "Can you believe she said that to me?"

Maman smiled and replied, "Zhe iz not wrong, mon amour."

He huffed but let the subject drop, long used to us overpowering him. Louis wasn't much use to him just yet, his conversation skills weren't awesome. He was a surprise, I'm seventeen and Dom's fourteen… Louis turned six in March.

Maman and dad never knew how to plan things…

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We Flooed to Gran and Grandpa's house at five to find it already full of children, to no one's surprise. The second I stepped into the room, a bunch of them flung themselves at me. Roxanne, Rose, Lucy, Hugo, and Lily all struggled to hug me at the same time. They sang Happy Birthday while they hugged me, making a smile tug at my lips as I crouched down to hug them back.

When they let me go, James and Freddie nodded in my direction, "Happy birthday, nerd."

"Thanks, brats!" I replied, messing up James' hair and pulling one of Freddie's curls. "Love you, too."

Molly and Albus were sitting together on the floor with books on their laps, but she looked up and smiled at me. "Happy birthday, Victoire!"

"Yeah, happy birthday, V," Albus repeated, looking up at me fleetingly before returning his attention to the book. "What do you mean the pictures don't move?!"

I rolled my eyes at his reaction and saw Molly do the same before she started explaining muggle literature to him for the millionth time. Gran was cooking like a mad woman when I entered the kitchen, scarcely avoiding a pan of potatoes as they flew over my head. When she saw that she'd almost hit me, Gran wiped her hands on her apron and scurried over to pull me into a bone crushing hug.

Aunt Hermione and Aunt Audrey were sitting at the table with Uncle Percy. They were talking about the efficiency of dragon scales in potions, and I ducked right past them to avoid interrupting, or worse, getting pulled into the conversation. I may have been of age, but I wasn't old enough to recreationally talk about the use of dragon scales in potions and hoped I never was.

When I looked out the window over the sink, I saw everyone else in the backyard playing Quidditch. I wanted to hurry out and play with them, but I needed to find pants first. I would change back into my dress later, Quidditch was always more important than looking good!

I ran up the stairs, taking off my shoes the second I hit the landing. I grabbed my bag and dug through it until I came out with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, changed quickly, and hurried back downstairs bare foot. I didn't need shoes to play Quidditch, we were up in the air.

I pushed through the screen door and shouted, "Need another seeker?"

"Oi, please! Harry's lost his touch!" Uncle George shouted as I looked up to the sky with my face shielded from the sun.

"Hey!" Uncle Harry shouted indignantly, making me laugh along with the others. "I resent that!"

"Vic, honey, we have something before you play," dad called from the kitchen.

When I turned around, I saw him holding a broom. It was the Skyracer 3000! I raced over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, squealing when he lifted me easily. I thanked him and maman in rapid French before running out and soaring into the air to join the others. I was so distracted by my delirious happiness, I didn't immediately notice Teddy was also floating in the air.

Despite what Uncle George said, Harry was still a brilliant seeker. All the years of being an Auror really kept his eyes and his reflexes sharp. Teddy was playing as the other seeker, but he shifted back to his spot as a chaser easily when I joined the game. If I'd had my choice, we wouldn't be on the same team, but at least we didn't have to talk or look at each other while we were in the air.

"If you'd have told me I'd be playing Quidditch on the same team as a Slytherin, I would've said you were daft," Uncle George called as he knocked a Bludger toward Angelina. "Sorry, love, but it's part of the game!"

She sneered at him after she dodged it before catching the Quaffle Charlie tossed her way. "Don't worry, love, we're going to kick your arse anyway!"

I laughed, refusing to let Teddy ruin this for me. Playing Quidditch together was one of my favorite things we did as a family. Just as I was thinking that, James and Freddie rose into the sky with us and joined the game, Freddie coming to our team and James going to the other. I knocked knuckles with Freddie before reclining back a bit on my broom as I flew higher to search for the Snitch. Well, that was the main purpose, the other was to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin without risk of getting knocked off my broom by a Bludger.

I watched Freddie throw a Quaffle through the hoop and cheered, clapping my hands as I balanced easily with my legs. Being on a broom was as easy as walking for me, I felt more at home in the sky than I did on the ground. I saw Uncle Harry fly toward a corner of the grass but knew he was faking me out so I ignored him and kept my eyes peeled. While he was distracted, a flutter of gold caught my eye yards away from him.

Years of playing had me trained. I didn't want to give the location away so I leisurely sank down without drawing attention to what I was doing. I caught Uncle Charlie's eye and he winked, knowing exactly what I was doing but not telling. By the time I was close enough, I lowered myself onto my broomstick and zoomed across the yard in chase of the Snitch. Uncle Harry was on my tail, but I was faster and the broom made me even faster than normal. My fingers had just clasped around the Snitch when I somersaulted off my broom and landed on my feet with the broom in one hand and the Snitch in the other.

"Where'd you learn to be such a show off?" Uncle Ron shouted from the air, laughter clear in his voice.

"Harry Potter is my uncle!" I shouted back, making Uncle Harry gasp playfully before diving down on his broom towards me and making me laugh in response. "What? It's no secret you're a drama queen! Right, Aunt Ginny?"

That had all of them roaring with laughter, Uncle George nearly fell from his broom he was laughing so hard. James was nodding knowingly while Freddie just grinned, looking so much like his father it was scary. Without my full permission, my eyes flit over to Teddy to find him already looking at me. My heart stopped in my chest before galloping, his eyes were heated and his lips were pulled into an appreciative smirk… he'd NEVER looked at me like that before.

What the hell?

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After Quidditch was over, I laid my broom on a bed upstairs before I changed back into my dress. The wind had swept my hair all over the place while I was flying so I pulled it back and let a couple curls fall down before pinning it back with a bit of magic. This was nice, I could use magic whenever I wanted now as long as there were no muggles around.

I went back downstairs and saw Dominique waiting for me at the foot of the steps. She was looking at me knowingly and grabbed my arm, pulling me close so she could whisper and people wouldn't immediately hear her.

"Teddy was watching you the entire game," she told me in a rushed whisper. "Uncle George elbowed him a few times to make him focus, but it didn't do much."

I had no idea what to do with this information. The way we left things on Monday prepared me in no way for this to happen. For all extensive purposes, I thought he was even angrier with me than I was with him. But he wasn't looking at me like he was upset, he was looking at me like he wanted to eat me alive.

"Girlz, it iz time for dinner!" Maman called, making us look over at her like we'd been caught doing something. That made her come over and ask, "What iz happening? What are you speaking about?"

I told her the story of what happened between me and Teddy quickly, keeping my voice low so no one would hear us. I started at my fifth year and continued on to what happened on Monday and finished with what just happened, making maman give me a pointed look.

"Victoire, mon amour, I zhink it iz pretty obvious," she sighed, her face becoming frustrated when I didn't answer. "You two have loved each ozer zince you were little."

"That's kind of what I thought, but he turned me down," I replied, leaning against the post of the staircase. "Also, please don't tell dad about Allegro."

She gave me a very parental look before she nodded. "Only because I zhink it iz foolish to forbid you to zee zhat boy. If he just zaid it waz fine, you would've already moved on from him."

My maman was a very smart woman who also grew up Veela. She knew what it was like to have boys throwing themselves at you all the time. She always talked about how she knew dad was the one because he saw who she really was, the fierce woman who wasn't afraid to fight for herself and what she believed in. It was no secret Dominique and I longed for a love like that… I just happened to be with the boys who only saw me as a trophy.

"Are you all coming to dinner or do I need to eat your share?" Uncle Ron asked, peeking around the corner of the kitchen door. "I'm not kidding, birthday girl."

The three of us went into the kitchen after his warning and I saw the chair beside Grandpa was open for me. I sat down after I hugged him, he must've just gotten home. Even at his age, he was still working at the Ministry. Gran floated the chicken over to the table and I saw Teddy floating some potatoes and carrots over as well. That was another thing made him so frustrating, he was so good to Gran and everyone else in the family… me excluded obviously.

We all started eating together, laughter and talking spread through the kitchen. Over the years it'd been charmed to fit the growing family. It was about five meters longer but unidentifiable from the outside. It was it's normal curvy, lopsided, beautiful self that I loved so much.

"This is wonderful, Gran!" I announced, making her smile and making a motion with her hands to brush it off. "I'm serious, it's brilliant."

"She's right, mum, you've out done yourself," Uncle Percy agreed, making the others make various noises of their own.

After the food was gone, I reclined back in my chair with a full stomach. Aunt Angelina lifted up a camera and Grandpa wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug as I kissed his cheek and made him laugh. He and I had the same nose and our smiles were alike, but that's where the similarities ended. Dominique, on the other hand, inherited his bright red hair much like a lot of the family with me, James, Albus, and Roxanne being the only exceptions.

Aunt Angelina took a few more photos before Gran floated in a huge cake, Aunt Hermione vanishing the dishes from the table so Gran could lower it down. It was a white cake with raspberry frosting and raspberries on top of it, making me smile happily. Raspberry was my favorite. Everyone started singing as Uncle Harry lit the candles, a muggle tradition I didn't quite understand but couldn't turn down.

I held my hair back and blew out the candle, wishing for things to start making sense in my life. When the cake was cut and doled out to everyone, we fell quiet again as we ate. The cake was floated back over to the counter, but I saw James and Freddie sneaking around it and stayed silent. I winked at Freddie when he saw me watching them before I turned back to the conversation I was having with Aunt Hermione.

A loud popping noise made everyone jump as the cake splattered all around the room. I'd had enough sense to throw up a shielding charm to keep myself clean, but the others weren't so lucky. Both maman and dad were covered in cake, dad laughing and maman glowering with her arms crossed. Uncle George and Aunt Angelina were laughing along with Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry, while Gran reprimanded them all.

This was the chaotic mess I missed when I was at home.

* * *

 **I'm a sucker for the Weasley/Potter family dynamic, so it'll be pretty prevalent in this story. Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**There is a minor sexual assault trigger warning at the beginning of this chapter. I'll put astericks (*) when it starts and when if finishes, just be warned it exists.**

* * *

Gran made Freddie and James clean the kitchen by hand after their prank. I was grinning as I snuck out to the garden. I sat on one of the benches and looked up at the stars; the sky was always clearer here than at home and far more beautiful. When we were younger, Teddy and I used to lay out in the grass and watch the stars until Gran forced us to come inside.

"I figured I'd find you out here," Teddy said, making me sit up straight to see him standing a little ways from me. "Can I sit?"

I scooted over and gestured for him to take a seat without speaking. We sat together in an awkward silence as we looked at the stars together. It felt nothing like when we were kids, and I tried my best to not be upset. When I peeked over at him, I saw him looking at me instead of the sky.

"What are you doing?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "You've been giving me mixed signals on top of mixed signals today, it's the shittiest birthday present in the world."

He let out a heavy sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face as his hair turned red then back to blue. "I know and I'm sorry. You just get under my skin, Victoire."

"Oh, great, it's my fault you're an asshole to me all the time," I responded sarcastically, flashing him an unimpressed face. "That makes total sense!"

"You are such a bitch!" he exclaimed, tossing his hands in the air. "You don't let me get away with a damn thing, you never have."

"Look, I don't want to play these games with you anymore," I sighed as a harsh realization hit me: this was how things were always going to be with us and I was foolish to ever think differently. "You didn't want me when I told you how I felt, so I moved on."

"You were fifteen and so innocent!" he exclaimed. "I couldn't wreck that, especially when you mean so much to me."

My stomach fell out of my butt at his admittance, making me open and close my mouth a couple times as I tried to think of something to say. A snap in the woods behind us drew both our attention, the two of us raising our wands as we stood. All the adults in our lives survived a war, we were taught from a childhood to always be vigilant. I came from being the first one born after the war and the only one born during it.

When Allegro peeked his head around a huge cedar tree, I lowered my wand and felt my shoulders sag in both relief and annoyance. Teddy growled under his breath, but I just ignored him and ran over to the woods. The last thing I needed was my family to find him, that would be hard to explain to my dad.

"Allegro, what are you doing here?" I asked in an annoyed voice. "My entire family is in that house! Have you lost your mind? You're going to get us caught!"

He grinned at me wolfishly and replied, "That's the thrill, isn't it?"

(*)

Apparently, he took my lack of an answer as an answer itself. He took me by my waist and yanked me to him, trying to kiss me. I moved my head to the side to dodge the kiss, but he was unhampered and kissed down my neck instead. I tried my best to get out of his embrace, but he was too strong. I felt my heart sink as I realized I had no control in this situation and it was going south fast.

"Allegro, stop," I said, pushing at his chest to no avail. "Stop, I don't want to do this."

He lifted from my neck and smiled up at me, "Come on, Vic, it's your birthday and I want to give you your present."

One of his hands moved up my thigh to slide under my skirt and grip my bum, making me struggle harder against him. Teddy's warning of him never taking no for an answer was echoing around my head now as I started pounding on his chest. My fight or flight instinct was in full gear, but my willowy form was no match for his Quidditch built body. He was trying to push down my knickers when I heard someone swear behind us, then shout a body-bind curse at Allegro.

My eyes were wild as he fell backward to the forest floor without moving. I was struggling to breathe when I turned to look at Teddy, and he was seething. I sucked in a few desperate breaths as my body started shaking because the adrenaline was fading fast. I sagged back against a tree, Teddy approaching me slowly with his hands up in a surrender position.

"Hey, 'toire, are you okay?" he asked in a quiet voice, tucking his wand into the waistband of his trousers as he moved a bit closer to me.

(*)

The use of his childhood nickname for me made me look at him instead of Allegro. My voice was shaky when I answered, "Yeah, just a little shaken up."

Teddy moved his body to block mine as he lifted Allegro from the ground with his wand. Then he pressed the tip of it to the soft part of Allegro's throat, making him swallow thickly. I reached out and grabbed Teddy's waist, laying my forehead between his shoulder blades as a way to tether myself because I felt like I could float away at any second. Looking at Allegro made a knot form in my throat and tears burn my eyes.

"I'm going to unbind you and you're going to get the hell out of here," Teddy told him, his voice pitched low and menacing. "If I hear about you even _talking_ about Victoire, I will find you and I will end you. Do you understand?"

Allegro made a garbled noise of affirmation, and it satisfied Teddy enough to undo the binding curse. I watched Allegro's lip tilt up into a cruel sneer as he glared at me over Teddy's shoulder. How I ever thought he was handsome was a mystery to me now.

"You weren't worth it anyway," he spat, this person coming out of nowhere and making me want to stay cowered being Teddy forever. "You were a frigid bitch, not even worth the work I put in."

I winced at his insult and watched Teddy readying his wand to send another curse his way. I didn't want him to do something he'd regret, so I reached up and took his wrist in my hand and lowered his arm gently. He let me move him and I saw Allegro's eye twitch with jealousy -I'd never touched him so softly. Then he spat on the ground and went back to wherever he'd left his broom.

Teddy was breathing so harshly I could hear it and it made me a little nervous, so I moved to stand in front of him. Even if things were weird between us, I placed a timid hand on his chest and his honey eyes landed on mine in an instant. If that surprised me, him pulling me into a hug left me absolutely gobsmacked. A beat later, I lifted my arms and held his waist again with his hand cupping the back of my head, making me feel safe and secure.

I laughed against his shoulder and it sounded wet, meaning I was probably going to cry soon. "God, worst birthday ever."

He pulled back from me and brushed his thumb over my cheek, catching a tear. "I'm so sorry."

I pulled a face and replied, "For what? You didn't do anything."

He sighed and replied, "Not for this, I'm sorry for hurting you. Both when we were in school and the other day."

That was a shitty apology, but I saw how serious his eyes were when he looked at me. He still had an arm around me with his free hand cupping my face, the intensity between us almost a seeable thing. I wanted him back in my life more than I'd ever wanted anything, but I didn't want him to treat me badly anymore.

"I want you back in my life, Ted, but I don't want to get hurt anymore," I admitted, twisting one of the buttons on his flannel shirt nervously.

He laughed humorlessly and rubbed my cheekbone. "I never meant to hurt you, I tried my best to keep from doing it."

"By sleeping with one of my best friends? You did an awesome job," I replied, pulling back out of his arms and shutting myself off as best I could. "This was stupid, thanks for saving me. I'm going back inside."

I wiped my face and left the woods, stalking back to the garden and into the Burrow. Dom saw me first and hurried over, running her fingers over a scrap on the side of my arm. Shit, I didn't even think about cleaning myself up before I came in.

"Victoire, what happened? There's pine needles in your hair and you're all scrapped up," she asked in a rushed voice, cataloguing all my injuries.

I was about to answer her when dad came over to the two of us, his eyes flaming. "Victoire, what happened? Are you okay?"

The sincerity in his voice made new tears burn my eyes and I wrapped my arms around his middle, hiding my face in his chest. I felt Dominique picking the pine needles from my hair as I bawled, the events of the night finally becoming too much. I wasn't kidding earlier, this was the worst birthday ever.

Teddy picked the world's worst time to come back inside because the second the door swung open, dad had his wand raised with me still in his arms. Of course his mind immediately went to Teddy hurting me.

"What did you do?" he asked in a voice I'd never heard him use before. "What did you do to her?"

"Whoa, Bill, let's talk about this, yeah?" Uncle Harry said, coming over to stand between Teddy and dad's wand. "Let's let Victoire tell us what happened before we make an rash judgements."

I lifted my head and told them, "Teddy didn't do anything."

Dad reluctantly lowered his wand and I peeked around him to see the entire family was gathered in the kitchen now. Teddy's hair was white and his eyes were huge, my dad was a curse breaker who'd survived a war -he knew some intense spells. I didn't blame him.

"Then what happened, poppet?" dad asked, brushing my hair from my face after he holstered his wand. "Why are you upset?"

I swallowed thickly and figured it was time to come clean. Maman had some idea what was about to happen and suggested the young kids go upstairs, and I nodded. I kept a tight grip on Dom's hand, but everyone else did as maman suggested, leaving me with the adults and Teddy.

We all sat around the kitchen table with hot chocolate Gran brewed to warm me up. "I've been seeing Allegro Valentene since last term."

"Isn't he a Chaser for the Cannons?" Aunt Ginny asked, making me nod and brace myself for the uproar.

"He's twenty years old, Victoire!"

I sighed and replied, "Yeah, I know. That's why I kept it a secret, but don't worry, it backfired on me anyway. We've been sneaking around and he showed up here tonight and tried to make me have sex with him, at least I think that was what he wanted. When I turned him down, he didn't stop. If Teddy didn't show up, I don't want to know what would've happened."

I told the entire story while I looked at my hands on the table, my nail polish chipped during the fight with him. For some hysterical reason, that made tears gather in my eyes for the millionth time. God, that was so stupid. I didn't need to cry over chipped nail polish.

Maman gasped and reached over for me, pulling me close and talking to me in French. She told me about how a boy tried to do the same to her during the Triwizard Tournament, and how dad saved her. Then she said it happened more than once, and she would teach me how to defend myself when we got home. Fortunately, only Dom and I spoke fluent French and dad understood only a bit. I had a feeling maman did it on purpose to keep that a secret, she didn't like people thinking she was weak.

Dad pushed up from the table along with Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron, Uncle Charlie, and Uncle George. The group of them stalked out of the kitchen before I had a chance to stop them. The last thing I wanted was for them to do something awful because I was stupid.

"I don't want them to get in trouble because I'm stupid," I whimpered, chewing my lip.

"Sweet, they're going to take care of it. Don't forget Harry and Ronald are Aurors," Gran reassured me, giving my hand a comforting pat. "You're not stupid, that boy took advantage of you. He deserves what he gets, but don't tell the boys I said that."

I didn't know what to say, so I just sat silently at the table. I'd almost been sexually assaulted or worse, I needed to report the attack. Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron were who I needed to tell, so at least I had that part out of the way. It was a lot easier than going to the Ministry and telling someone there, no one would believe me. I knew how people looked a Veela, we were a tease to men and deserved whatever we got in return.

"I think I'm going to go home," I announced, pushing up from the table shakily. "Thank you for the party, Gran. The food was wonderful."

I hugged everyone before I accioed my broom from upstairs and Flooed home. I knew maman would wait for dad to come back to the Burrow, but that was the last thing I wanted. I just wanted a shower and to go to bed. Once I was back home, the scent of vanilla and maman's jasmine perfume pervaded my senses and made a wave of safety overcome me. No one could hurt me here.

After I put my broom in the closet with the others, I made my way to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror, I saw my mascara was all over my face and my hair was a wreck. I washed my face clean of makeup and took off my clothes, letting my hair down as well. My dress had a tear in the back that I'd mend later, right now I just wanted to get the sticky resin from the cedar off my skin.

When I was satisfied with how clean I was, I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body. I found bruises on my hips while I was washing my body along with bruises and marks on my neck and one of my shoulders from his harsh kisses. The backs of my arms were scraped up from rubbing against the tree bark and there were scratches on the back of my thigh from his nails. Those were things that didn't wash away.

Instead of staring at myself some more, I went to my room and put on pajamas. I put on knickers with shorts and one of dad's big jumpers. With the smell of him surrounding me, I buried myself under my covers. This was always my safe place, nothing could get me when I was tucked underneath them.

I didn't hear the Floo downstairs, but I did hear Louis chanting "Vic, Vic, Vic" as he and Dominique came into my room a little later. They crawled into my bed with me, Dom braiding my hair back and Louis cuddling in close to me. He didn't really understand what happened tonight, he just knew I was upset and wanted to make me feel better. He was such a sweet kid whenever he wanted to be.

"Can we sleep with you tonight, birthday girl?" Dom asked, making Lou look up at me with big, sleepy eyes. "Or are you too old for sleepovers now?"

"I'll never be too old for sleepovers with the two of you," I replied, a tired smile pulling at my lips as we all got comfortable. "I love you both."

Louis fell asleep pretty quickly after that, clutching my hand in both of his as he slept between me and Dom. She and I talked for a while about everything under the moon before she started dozing off. I knew before I laid down I wasn't going to get a lot of sleep tonight, but I couldn't turn them away. It felt so much safer to have them here with me, nothing could touch them while I was watching, and that made me happy.

* * *

 **Their family dynamic is so sweet, I'm kind of proud of it.**


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days were uncomfortable to put it lightly. From having to explain mine and Allegro's relationship to both my mother and father _and_ Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron. If you ever want to be embarrassed, tell your family how you gave a guy a handjob and report back to me. It was horrible, but I knew it was necessary.

"So, you never made it seem like you wanted to have sex?" Harry asked, making me and maman both bristle.

I was poised to tell him exactly what I thought when she started speaking. "I hardly zee how zhat has anyzhing to do wiz zhe problem! Are you zaying zhat Victoire waz asking to be attacked?"

"No, Merlin, no! I was just asking if they'd had sex before," Harry tried to justify, but maman was already on a role.

"You haz no clue what it iz like to be fawned after by men your whole life! Zis iz just zhe firzt time, zhere will be more," she spat, looking every bit like a harpy that a full Veela would. "A boy took advantage of her, and I demand he be punished!"

"Yes, I agree. I just need to know all the details," Harry tried for the final time, and I saw dad rest his hand on maman's lower back to soothe her. "Vic, I'm not blaming you for this. It wasn't your fault, you know that, right?"

"I know, Uncle Harry. I know this is how people will see things," I replied in a measured voice. "I'm the Veela girl who drew him in and my allure caused him to lose his mind with want. That's why I'm not pressing charges."

Maman gasped in surprise and dad exclaimed my name, but I wasn't budging on this. "I don't want my life on trial. Enough people already look at me, I don't want anymore."

After a quarrel to rival all quarrels, we finally came to an agreement: if Allegro tried to contact me again, we'd press charges. We'd just finished making arrangements when the entire family appeared in our now-tiny kitchen.

"We thought you'd like to have your presents," Aunt Ginny smiled, Lily on her hip with her arm around Albus' shoulders.

I smiled sheepishly and nodded, not missing Teddy's absence in the crowded room. A pit formed in my stomach, but I tried my best to not let it show on my face. After all, I was the one who told him it was stupid to try and fix our relationship.

I opened all my presents and reacted accordingly, thanking everyone profusely after opening each one. I got a ton of clothes, some sweets, some money, and the newest products from the Wonderwitch line at WWW. It was a wonderful haul, I just wished Teddy was here so much it was hard to appreciate it fully. Merlin, this guy had such a hold on me.

"Happy birthday, Victoire!" Aunt Ginny said, coming over and hugging me once the attention was off me. Then she pulled a package out of her robes' pocket and handed it to me, "This is from Teddy. He didn't tell me anything and I'm not going to ask any questions."

Aunt Ginny was possibly my favorite Aunt, she was the coolest person I knew. She and I did the craziest stuff together that James, Albus, and Lily-Luna would never know about. I'd even convinced her to go with me to a muggle tattoo place to get my cartilage pierced when I was fourteen. A piercing she and I still had three years later.

I shrank the box and put it into the pocket of my joggers to open later. Something about the present felt like I should open it alone… or I could just be dramatic. I danced around with Lucy, Lily, and Roxanne to the music Rose was playing through the radio sitting on the shelf. It was a gift to Dominique from Grandpa, she'd brought it down for the occasion.

My mood did a complete 180-degree shift with the presence of my family. I went from being mopey and sad, to smiling and laughing like a loon. That's where maman found me, pointing to the table full of gifts from my friends. I was too upset when I came in to even check, but I was ecstatic to open them now.

The presents were great, but one of them was definitely not something to show my family. My best friend Jade and I went to a lingerie shop in her muggle town a little while ago, and I fell in love with a periwinkle baby doll with a matching lacy thong. I couldn't bring myself to actually buy it, but the crazy witch bought it for me and sent it via birthday parcel.

"That is beautiful, but dad will literally die if he sees it," Dominique told me, peeking into the bag as I gathered my things to take upstairs.

"Why do you think I didn't open it in front of him?" I replied devilishly. "Cover for me while I take these upstairs, yeah?"

She nodded and went back to the front room with the family. The tightness in my stomach was gone, only a mild discomfort there now. It was amazing the healing effect being around the people who loved you the most had on someone. Maman healed the bruises and scrapes, so I felt almost like a new person now.

I tucked the lingerie into my closet and laid my other things in my chair. Then I sat on the edge of my bed and pulled out Teddy's gift from my pocket. I tapped my wand to the box and it grew back to its original size, sitting on my lap. After taking a couple seconds to work up my courage, I opened it.

There was a delicate silver chain with a detailed crescent moon hanging from it. My heart swelled because I knew the exact reason for the gift. Crescent moons were always my favorite because they didn't hurt Teddy. I know it's a ridiculous, childish thing to think, but I always thought they were magical and kept him safe. We got up to our best adventures under the light of crescent moons when we were kids… I missed adventuring with him.

I put the necklace on and tucked the charm under my shirt, keeping it a secret for now. I didn't want to explain to anyone where I got it just yet. I really just wanted to go talk this all out with Teddy, but that scared me as much as it excited me.

The family stayed for an hour or so before they headed out for the night. I played around with the idea of going to Teddy;s spontaneous, but almost immediately talked myself out of it. Instead, I wrote a letter to him and sent it via the family's owl, Hazel.

 _Teddy,_

 _The necklace is gorgeous, you always knew how to pick out things I would love. It reminds me of how magical I used to think crescent moons were when we were kids. I'm sure that's what you were thinking when you chose it, our brains shared a wavelength for a long time._

 _I want to talk things through without shouting at each other for once. I miss you, even if writing that down makes me want to vomit… from nerves or anxiety or the pure embarrassment of it, I'm not sure._

 _Victoire_

When Hazel was just a speck in the sky, I headed back up to my room. I wanted to try on my clothes I got for my birthday -more specifically, I wanted to try on the baby doll. With my door locked, I pulled the mesh and lace material out of the bag in my closet and laid it out of my bed. It was so pretty, and the color matched my eyes almost perfectly.

After I cast a quick cleansing charm over the set, I stripped down and pulled it on. I walked in front of my full-length mirror and smiled in satisfaction, it looked as perfect as I hoped. The bodice of the baby doll was cream and periwinkle lace while the bottom was a see-through mesh. The thong was periwinkle with the sides the same cream as the bodice. I spun in a circle and smiled, I was happy I could feel sexy again after last night… I wondered a little.

I took it off a little later and put on my pajamas, unlocking my door as I headed downstairs. Dad was sitting on the couch with Louis in his lap, the two of them reading a book together. Dominique was helping maman clean up from the family being here. This was home, I took a mental picture for when I went back to Hogwarts in September.

"Poppet, there's a letter for you on the table," dad said when he saw me standing at the foot of the stairs.

He gestured to the table closest to the window, and I made my way over to grab it. Judging by the even letters on the front, it was from Teddy. I opened it and leaned back against the wall to read it, hoping my family didn't take too much interest in my actions.

 _Victoire,_

 _I'm glad you loved the necklace, I saw it in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago and thought of you. Then I went back a couple days ago and actually bought it. It's charmed to project the sky every night, I know how much you love stars. Obviously, I thought of the nights you swore to me crescent moons were magic because I was never sick when they were in the sky. I never had the heart to tell you all moons were fine except full ones because you were so sure of yourself._

 _Trust me, I miss you far more than you miss me. It took seeing you lying in my bed with me on Tuesday morning for me to realize it, but I finally caught up. I want to talk to you, too, I'm just not good at saying the right thing. Whatever comes out of my mouth always upsets you, even if that's the furthest from my intentions._

 _Come to my flat tomorrow afternoon, our Floos have been linked for a while now._

 _Hope to see you,_

 _Teddy_

I refolded the letter and tucked it into my jogger's pocket, going over to sit with maman and Dominique. "Maman, can I go over to Teddy's tomorrow?"

She gave me a sly look before smiling and saying, "Of courze. What brought zhiz on all of a zudden? I thought you were crozz wiz each ozher?"

"That's why I'm going over," I replied, twisting my fingers as nerves gathered in the pit of my stomach. "We're going to talk about everything that's happened between us since he was still in school."

"Really?" Dominique asked in surprise, biscuit crumbs flying from her mouth.

"Dominique!" maman chided. Then she looked over at me and replied, "Victoire, I want you to be careful. After what happened lazt night, I want you to be more aware. I do not zink Teddy would ever cauze you harm, or I wouldn't let you go."

"Merci, maman," I replied, hugging her and allowing her to kiss my forehead. "I've had a long day, I think I'm going to go bed."

"I'm going with you," Dominique said, barely giving me time to finish speaking before she rushed us up the stairs. Once we were alone in my room, she asked, "Are you really going to talk or give him a fashion show?"

She was gesturing to the bags sitting in my closet, and I felt my face burn. "No! We're really just going to talk about everything because we miss each other and this has gone on too long."

She fixed me with a look that felt like she was looking straight through me. "I don't want you to get so invested in this only for it to get blown to bits. You two don't think straight when you're together, you're like a fire charm mixed with an engorgio spell!"

I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right. Teddy and I amped each other up like crazy, it was like we fed off each other's emotions. But I wanted to be close with him again, I wanted to feel as connected to him as I did the night of the full moon.

"Have you talked to your friends about any of this?" she asked, reclining on her elbows on the bed.

I shook my head and told her, "No, I figured I'd hang out with them after seeing Teddy."

The plan made sense to me, and the look on Dom's face said it did to her, too. Let's just hope things worked out like I wanted… things had to start working out for me sooner or later, right?

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I got two reviews! Thank you so freakin' much! Jesus H. Christ! It's so cool someone genuinely enjoys what I write!**

* * *

I was a nervous wreck the entirety of Sunday morning as I ate breakfast and got ready to go see Teddy. My hands were shaking so badly, I had to do my eyeliner with magic so it was straight. I wore the A-line skirt Aunt Angelina got me with a floral top from my friend Bat. I paired that with a pair of flats and latched the necklace around my neck.

With my wand tucked in the waistband of my skirt, I stepped into the hearth. Dominique wished me good luck as the swirls of emerald fire lifted me from the grate. I landed in an unfamiliar room with two strangers staring at me.

"Uhm, I'm here to see Teddy Lupin?" It was more a question than anything as I slowly stepped out of the fireplace.

"Yeah, he's in the shower, I think," one of the guys told me, unabashedly looking me up and down. "I'm Ryland, Teddy's hotter roommate."

I rolled my eyes and shifted into catty, bored mode. "I feel like that's subjective, _Ryland_."

The other guy snorted as he pulled on his robes. "I'm Malick, you must be Victoire. Teddy's freak out this morning makes a lot more sense now. You're gorgeous and obviously Veela."

I shrugged and replied, "You're not wrong about either of those things."

I flashed both of them my most dazzling smile and saw their eyes glaze over. The Veela allure was strongest around men who I'd never met before -men built up an immunity after being exposed to Veela a lot. Ryland was on his way over to me when Teddy came into the room, his hair wet around the temples and his shirt unbuttoned like he rushed out of the shower.

"What are you prats doing? I said you had to be out by noon!" he shouted, his eyes turning over to me. "Hey, 'toire."

My Cheshire Cat grin was still in place when I looked up at him. I stalled a little when I saw his bare chest for the first time since we were kids. I knew he had to be built from all the Quidditch, but the tattoo across his chest was a surprise. It was the phases of the moon and they shifted in time with each other, waxing and waning. There was another spanning from his ribs to his hip, but I couldn't see what it was because his shirt had it covered.

"We're going, we just wanted to say goodbye to the lady," Ryland grinned, bowing to me before Apparating out of the room.

"You're dangerous, you know that?" Malick quipped before following suit and leaving the two of us alone.

"Hey, I'm glad you came," he said, buttoning his shirt as he looked at me.

"This has gone on long enough," I told him, crossing my arms over my stomach nervously. "Can we sit or something?"

He jolted and replied, "Of course. Do you want some tea?"

I nodded, following him into the kitchen and sitting at a table I vaguely recognized from his Gram's house. The flat was a little messy, it looked like a couple bachelors lived here. There were a few bottles of Firewhisky sitting on the counter along with some other alcohols I didn't recognize.

"Milk and honey, right?" he asked, floating the cups over to the table and pouring tea into them.

I couldn't stop myself from grinning at the simple action, it meant a lot when someone remembered how you took your tea. Maman always told me the little things meant the most. People who cared about you wanted to remember everything you told them.

"Yeah," I replied, making him smile back at me as he poured the milk and honey into the mug with the tea. "I'm surprised you remembered."

"I remember a lot of things about you," he responded, sitting across from me at the table. "You love winter, your favorite smell is lavender and vanilla because it reminds you of home, you'd rather spend time on your broom than anywhere else, and I could go on."

I started getting flustered but pushed it down in favor of the real reason I was here. "I want to talk about what happened between us instead of things you remember about me. The last thing we need is to get distracted and not talk about it."

"That's fair," he sighed, running his hand through his hair and making it even messier than it already was. "I know it's too late, but I'm so sorry for sleeping with Sutter. It was stupid, I just wanted to keep you as far away as possible."

"Why? You could've just said you didn't like me that way and it would've been over. Instead, you basically told me there was no chance in hell you'd ever feel that way about me then slept with one of my best mates," I argued, stirring my tea with one hand and crossing my legs.

"You were skiving off with Perc all the time back then, too," he reminded me. "I wasn't the only one who was wrong."

That was true, but I'd already dealt with that. "He and I have already made amends, a while ago actually. I only did it to get your attention and you know that. I think somewhere deep down Percival knew that, too. It was wrong and I was a bitch for it, but I've fixed it."

It was his turn to be put on the spot, and he handled it a lot worse than me. Granted, he couldn't completely control his hair when he felt a flare of emotion. It was bright red now, almost a dancing flame on his head, because he was embarrassed.

"You're right, I did know that's what you were doing and it freaked me out," he admitted. "You were so young and innocent, I knew I'd ruin that… and I think I did anyway."

He wasn't wrong, but I didn't know how to broach that topic just yet so I just sipped my tea instead. I dated boys who weren't nice to me, they didn't grope me like Allegro, but I was no stranger to being called a frigid bitch.

"You called me a bitch," I replied quietly, telling him he was right in my own way. "You and Allegro weren't the first guys to do that and you'll hardly be the last."

His hair changed from black to yellow before settling back on his regular blue. "'toire, I'm sorry for calling you that. I was trying to explain how I felt, but my mind always goes blank when I look at you."

"That doesn't matter, it still wasn't okay," I replied, pursing my lips. "I'm so tired of people thinking I'm a bitch because I say what I think and don't sleep with anyone who gives me attention. I don't owe anyone anything because I'm beautiful."

"I love that you're opinionated, Victoire, it's one of my favorite things about you. You've always been so independent and fierce, taking on everything head on. You're the first and only Weasley to ever be put in Slytherin, and you wear green and silver proudly," he cried, taking my hand in his and moving closer to me. "You are a forest fire, you engulf everything around you. But at the same time, you're also the growth of the forest after the flames are put out. Saying your merely beautiful is almost an insult."

The feeling of my stomach falling out of my butt was back with a vengeance now. I felt my palms start sweating as I tried to think of how to respond to that. Nobody had ever talked about me like that before, and I had a sneaking suspicion no one ever would again.

"Why do you keep saying things like that to me?" I asked, pulling my hand from under his and wiping my palms on my skirt. "You can't say I meant too much for you to be with me and then tell me I'm fire and regrowth in the same breath. Those aren't the things you say to people you don't want."

He laughed and I winced, barely resisting the urge to pull my knees up to my chest. "Victoire, I never knew you were so daft."

My face quirked up into an offended look, squaring up to start shouting at him. "I should've known better than to do this. I'm going home."

"No!" he shouted quickly, grabbing my hand and pulling me back to my seat. "See? That's what I mean, I forget how to say what I'm thinking when I'm around you. I wanted you when I was seventeen and before that and I still want you now, I can't imagine a time when I'm not going to want you."

"After the other night, I'm not ready to be with anyone," I replied nervously, drumming my fingers against the tabletop. "…yet."

He just nodded, "That's okay. I can wait until you decide what you want."

"I can't ask you to do that, Teddy. It's not fair," I told him, my mood turning serious in a flash.

He brushed a curl over my shoulder and traced his finger over the skin. There's no way he could know Allegro left a bruise there, but something about the way he touched me said he did. The difference between his gentle caress and Allegro's rough grip was everything.

"You don't have to ask, 'toire. I'd wait for you forever if there was a chance you'd forgive me," he replied, lowering his hand to sit on top of mine again. "I want to. I was stupid, I won't be again."

His words weighed down my shoulders as I tried to put everything together. "I think you mean what you're saying, but I don't trust you like I used to. I never thought you'd hurt me like that, but you did. I don't think I know you anymore."

"Then let's hang out, as friends, and get to know each other again," he suggested, his face betraying how nervous the suggestion made him and the tinge of desperation in his voice making my resolved waver. "Or you can walk away and I'll understand."

I sighed and flipped my hand over, pressing our palms together. It was clear he didn't wear gloves when he played Quidditch, his hands were covered in calluses. Mine were soft and smooth thanks to the dragon's hide gloves maman and dad bought me when I made the team my second year and rigorous moisturizing.

"I think we both know I can't do that," I mused quietly, meeting his amber eyes for the first time since we'd sat down. "On a different note, when did you get tattoos?"

That made him laugh and run his free hand through his hair. "Oh, yeah… Uh, I got my first one when I was seventeen and kept at it since."

I arched a brow at that and asked, "How many are there?"

"Seven right now, but I have an appointment later this week to get another," he answered, smirking at me. "Why? Are you into them?"

I pursed my lips out and looked at him coyly. "I don't know what you're implying, Edward Lupin, but I'm a good girl."

"Let's not use my first name so freely, yeah?" he winced before he smirked at me. "You're as much of a good girl as I'm a good boy, and we both know I'm not. I think Rita Skeeter said it best, I'm a wild boy."

I tutted and replied, "I saw you helping Gran with the food the night of my birthday. You try to act like you're such a bad boy, but you're the softest bloke I've ever met. There's nothing wild about you."

"Keep that down, I've got a reputation to uphold," he teased, shushing me with his finger pressed to his lips.

I rolled my eyes but didn't press further. "Show them to me."

"Good to know you're still bossy as ever," he quipped, moving his hand from mine reluctantly and unbuttoning his shirt. "You saw the moons earlier, but I have more."

He stripped off his shirt completely and showed me the wolf on his side, its hindquarters disappearing below the line of his trousers. It was made of stars and cosmic dust, and it shifted as he moved. The tattoo was beautiful and I desperately wanted to trace the lines of it, but I knew that'd be pushing my luck so I kept my hands in my lap. I just made out the word "Moony" written in the stars on the wolf's side as he moved around.

Then he showed me the inside of his bicep where a date sat in plain black ink. I recognized it as Andromeda's birthday and my insides softened a little. He loved his Gram desperately, and nearly lost himself when she died. He and I weren't friends anymore, but I saw his reckless behavior increase and knew he'd been brought home by Aurors a couple times the summer after his seventh year. His parents and his relationship to Harry were the only things that saved him from being in serious trouble.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," I remarked, reaching out and brushing my fingers over the roman numerals. "It wasn't fair."

"I wouldn't have let you even if you tried," he replied, lying his arm flat on the table so I could trace the tattoo in its entirety. "I lost myself for a bit."

I wanted to tell him I noticed, but I bit my tongue. Instead, I said, "I'm glad you found yourself again."

"Honest? I don't really like who I am without you," he told me, his eyes burning as they held mine. "I've always been better with you in my life."

The mood turned delicate with his admission. It felt like if I breathed the wrong way, I would shatter whatever was building between us. I didn't lie, I was still reluctant to be with another person after Allegro. Yet the tug in my belly was pulling me straight to him, the tug that had been there since we were kids.

"I'm less reckless around you," I admitted, choosing my words carefully. "I didn't intentionally do things I knew would hurt me until the night we stopped being friends."

I saw the hurt in his eyes when he realized what I was saying. "You started dating blokes like Valentene because I broke your heart."

"It's easier when I know they're going to break my heart and I see it coming," I finished, dropping my hand flat onto the table and away from his skin. "This is sappy and sounds like a muggle film, but it's the honest truth. So honest I haven't even told Dom."

He knew the weight that statement carried. "I will be sorry for that for the rest of my life. I tried to keep from wrecking you, and I ended up doing it anyway."

He lifted his hand and slid his fingers back onto my hair, cupping my jaw in his palm. I leaned into his touch and pressed a kiss to the pad of his thumb. I saw a shudder course through Teddy, his skin breaking out in goose pimples. The moment was intimate and charged at the same time, sexual tension brewing between us that was stronger than any I'd ever felt.

"You never showed me the rest of your tattoos," I told him shakily, my voice breathy as I tried to regain control of the situation.

His grin was a bit forced as he let me go and stood up, showing me his back. His mum's face was on the back of his shoulder, her hair changing colors and her nose shifting from human to pig to duck and back. It looked like he'd stamped her directly from a picture because the face was so exact.

"She's beautiful," I said in awe, seeing bits and pieces of Teddy in the lines of her face. "You guys look alike."

"Gram always told me that growing up." His voice was small when he spoke. "Everyone else always says I looked like my dad, which I do, but it's cool when people see her in me, you know?"

Instead of dwelling, he turned and showed me the rest of the tattoos on his arm. I knew he worked in curse breaking with my dad, so the booby trap on the outside of his bicep made me grin. He also had a set of footprints that climbed up his inner forearm, obviously taken from the Marauder's Map. The last one made me snort. It was just below the break of his elbow on the same arm: a set of deer horns, a dog's pawprint, and a wolf's footprint.

"Does Uncle Harry know you and Aunt Ginny have matching tattoos?" I giggled, watching him put his shirt back on.

He snickered himself and said, "He has it, too."

"That's so punk rock," I teased, repeating something he used to say all the time when we were kids. "I thought having matching piercings with Aunt Ginny was cool."

"Whoa, that's a blast from the past," he exclaimed, finishing off his tea and taking our cups to the sink.

"Can I go with you to get your next one?" I asked, flicking my wand and cleaning the cups before he could.

"Cute," he quipped pointing at me as he leaned back against the counter. "Sure, if you think you can handle it… princess."

I pushed up from the table and walked over to him, pushing his chest. "Do _not_ call me that!"

"What are you gonna do about it if I do?" he challenged, smirking down at me.

With a vague memory of his most ticklish spots, I dug my fingers into the bottoms of his ribs. Like I'd hoped, he started laughing and trying to squirm away from me. I kept tickling until he finally grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the counter, caging my body in with his.

My bottom lip was between my teeth as I looked up at him from under my lashes. He was breathing harshly through his nose, holding his body less than an inch away from mine. The sexual tension from earlier was back and in full force, nearly palpable between us.

"I should let you go before this goes too far," he told me in a raspy voice but made no move to let me go.

"I should go before this goes too far," I countered in a breathy voice of my own, also making no move to break out of his grip.

Our breath was mingling between us as I lifted onto my tiptoes unconsciously to be closer. I could feel him leaning into me and I was doing the same, but neither of us pushed further. His hair was changing color freely as we looked at each other, but I didn't want to look away from his eyes to see how much.

I'd never put much thought into how Teddy smelled before, but it was all I could do right now. There were hints of rain and sandalwood mixed with laundry soap and something distinctly him. I wanted to wrap myself up in the smell and wear it forever.

"I want to kiss you so much," he whispered, his lips a breath above mine.

All I had to do was tilt my head a hair to the left and they'd be touching, but I didn't. "I want you to kiss me so much."

"But I can't, not right now," he lamented, pulling back for me reluctantly and releasing my hands. "I respect what you told me. I'm okay with waiting… as long as cold showers still exist."

That made me laugh and some of the tension between us dissipated, but most of it still hung between us heavily. "I'm actually going to go this time. Just owl me about the tattoo plans, yeah?"

He followed me into the living room and stood with me at the fireplace. "Definitely."

Even if it wasn't the best idea, I hugged him and felt him wrap his arms around me. I couldn't be sure, but it felt like he kissed the top of my head before we let go of each other. With a wry smile flashed in his direction, I went up in emerald flames.

* * *

 **Like I said before, thank you so much for reviewing! I love hearing your feedback!**


	7. Chapter 7

When I got back home from Teddy's, I Flooed to Adelaide's house. I sent letters to each of my friends, ensuring their presence with the promise of gossip. I was the last one to arrive, making the others cry out in excitement when I stepped out of the hearth.

"I'm so glad you're finally here!" Addie shrieked, pulling me to the couch with her and Bat. "It's time to dish! Immediately!"

"There's so much, get your snacks ready now," I replied, making Bat and Jade shriek and Anth roll his eyes at my dramatics. "Well, it starts out kind of bad but ends kind of good."

"Ominous, but you're still not much of a story teller," Anth remarked, making me hit him with the pillow from behind me.

I started by telling them about the night Teddy caught me sneaking into the Burrow and ending with him saving me from Allegro. Anth and Addie looked like they could kill while Bat and Jade immediately started comforting me. After I assured them I was okay, I showed them the necklace around my neck to change the subject.

"Oh, yeah! Teddy said it's supposed to project the night sky," I recalled, taking off the necklace and lying it flat on the table. "Let's see."

I tapped it with my wand and watched the darkness seep out of the moon. It floated in the air and stars shined amongst the inky blackness. It looked almost exactly like the real sky, the only difference was the pictures of Addie's family peeking through the clouds.

"That's some crazy charm work," Bat said once I'd closed it back down and put the necklace on. "No necklace comes with that level of magic, it has to be enchanted."

I didn't put that much thought into the necklace, but Bat was right. Teddy put a lot more effort into the present than he wanted me to believe and a balloon of affection blossomed in my chest. Maybe he really was trying his best to apologize to me.

"He's incredibly frustrating, you know?" I mused, reclining back against the cushions of the sofa. "In the best way."

"Wait, what did we miss?" Jade asked, trying to put the puzzle together without all the pieces. "You went from shouting at each other to you being gushy over him with a heavily charmed necklace."

"I just got back from talking with him at his flat," I answered, making Anth hoot loudly. "Shut up, we didn't do anything… we didn't need to."

Addie waggled her eyebrows at me suggestively. "What does that mean?"

"We talked for a while and then we had the most intense moment of my life. I was tickling him and he grabbed my hands, pinning me between him and the counter. We just looked at each other and breathed each other in for the longest time, it was the most erotic thing I've ever experienced!" I exclaimed, giggling like crazy when I was finished.

"I've always said, never underestimate the power of a look," Bat shrugged, but I saw the grin she was fighting.

"So, he said he didn't mind waiting for you to figure things out?" Anth asked skeptically.

Anth was detrimental to our friend group, he balanced us out. It was important to have a boy in your friend group because he gave a unique point of view to situations. Times like this were one of those situations, he kept my feet on the ground.

I shook my head and replied, "Sort of, he told me to take my time figuring things out. He said he wouldn't make the mistake of letting me go again."

"I think Anth's trying to say, in the roundabout way he has, we don't want Teddy to hurt you again," Addie translated, making Anth nod in agreement. "We all agree, we don't want you to get your hopes up just for him to dash them to bits again."

She was right, and I was trying to remember that. Things were pretty and exciting right now because they were just happening, but there was no promise they'd stay this way and our track record wasn't the best.

"I told him I didn't really know him anymore. I didn't trust him not to hurt me like before," I relayed to them. "We're re-getting to know each other. I'm going with him to get a tattoo soon."

"Are you getting a tattoo, V?" Bat asked in excitement.

I hadn't thought about that, I was too focused on reconnecting with Teddy. "I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it. I _am_ seventeen…"

"Speaking of your birthday, did you like your present?" Jade asked cheekily, making me swat at her playfully.

"I can't believe you bought me that! What if I would've opened it in front of my family?" I teased in fake exasperation. "I put it on the next night and felt like a total bombshell!"

We talked about our lives and the things we'd missed being apart for a few weeks after that. I was officially the last virgin in our entire group, Bat lost hers a few days ago. She'd gone to Italy with her family and slept with a random, Italian guy. She showed us pictures and we all congratulated her profusely with minimal teasing directed at me. Unlike them, I wasn't in a big hurry to be rid of it.

By the time it got dark, I knew I had to head home or dad would lose his top. After promises to get back together soon, I got in the Floo. Dad was cooking in the kitchen and maman had some of her friends over in the living room, and they were wine drunk by the sound of it.

"Victoire, zere iz a letter on zhe table for you," maman told me, hiccupping as she pointed to a table across the room.

I smiled and nodded at all her friends before scooping up the letter and going up to my room. Louis was hanging out in the kitchen with dad and Dom was over at Aunt Angelina and Uncle George's, so I was in the clear for privacy. Teddy's handwriting was on the front of the envelope, making me grin at his impatience. He'd always been horrible at waiting for things.

I remember when he turned eleven, he had a countdown on his Gram's fridge of the days until he got his Hogwarts' letter. Andromeda always enabled Teddy's idiosyncrasies, but she was getting a bit annoyed by the fourth day when he'd started losing his patience. I'd almost convinced her to help me forge a letter when his finally came the fifth day of August.

 _Victoire,_

 _I'm sure you remember how bad I am at waiting for things, especially when I really want them. The guys and I are going to Blotts on Friday at about five after I get off work. Unsurprisingly, they're both ecstatic you're coming along and I can't say I disagree._

 _That brings me to a more pressing matter. Are you planning on getting a tattoo, too? As hot as that would be, I really don't want your father blaming me for the tarnishing of his little princess… even if she's not as pure as he thinks. Alas, you're 17 now and can make that decision for yourself and I'm sure you've decided to get one, purely because I suggested you don't._

 _Perhaps give me a hint on what it is and where you're thinking about placing it?_

 _Waiting anxiously for your VERY DESCRIPTIVE response,_

 _Teddy_

His letter made me chuckle as I placed it with his previous one, safe inside the pages of a journal I never used. It was charmed to look like an encyclopedia of Mediterranean plants, so nobody was gagging to read it. I got my quill and ink and replied to his letter with a single sentence.

 _Wouldn't you love to know._

I gave the letter to Hazel, making sure to give her an extra biscuit and a stroke to the head before sending her off. Now that I had his mind whirling with all the possibilities, I actually had to figure out what I wanted and where I wanted it. I had money from my birthday so that wasn't a problem, and they could check my wand to see my age.

Even if it was probably a hair pathetic, I wanted to get a moon going through its phases on my hip just above my bum. It needed to be somewhere my dad would NEVER see, a place I could easily hide it without a charm. Before anyone thinks I'm getting it because of Teddy, moons mean magic to me. They remind me how much fun being carefree and adventurous can be, to always keep a bit of the child inside me alive.

Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it'd be… now I just had to play the waiting game and actually go through with it.

* * *

Dominique lectured me for two straight days about the dangers of getting a tattoo, but she swore to keep it a secret. I wrote to all my friends again and told them what I was doing, and only Anth said I was being pathetic for getting a moon but changed his tune when I explained the real reason.

I told my parents I was hanging out with Adelaide before Flooing to Teddy's flat that afternoon. Malik was sitting on the couch with another guy and he smiled at me before going back to their conversation. Hearing the Floo, Teddy came into the room in his work clothes, covered with dust and ash.

"Hard day at the office?" I teased, perching on the arm of a chair close to him.

"It's better now," he flirted back, winking at me and making me roll my eyes. "Only you would go to a tattoo shop wearing a pair of glittery shorts."

"They are sequined!" I cried indignantly. "Excuse you!"

His grin was everything I remembered from being a little kid, making a blossom of warmth start in my belly and work through my body. He tugged my hair playfully before heading back to clean up from a day of breaking curses. I was bored to tears when dad talked about his day, but thinking about Teddy breaking curses was devastatingly sexy.

I moved to sit in the chair and saw Malik look over at me. "Victoire, this is Tate. Tate, this is Victoire. She's Veela and gets sassy when you point it out, even if it's obvious."

I glowered at him playfully before extending my hand to Tate. "It's nice to meet you, don't trust anything any of them have told you about me."

Tate smiled and tried to be subtle as his eyes raked over my body. I wondered distantly if I would ever be used to men looking at me like I was something to be consumed. Maman didn't talk about it or even seem to notice, so maybe there was hope for it after all. Well, it was either that or my dad scared them off… he was a bit intimidating with his scars and his wand sheath on his hip.

"Do I get a hint where you're getting this tattoo?" Ryland asked, coming into the room and sitting on the chair arm I'd just abandoned. "If I guess right, do I get to see a before and after?"

"Not even if hell freezes over," I told him saccharinely, smiling my most Veela smile.

Teddy made his entrance and punched Ryland in the shoulder hard enough to jar him after that. "I'm going to enjoy watching her destroy you."

"I like my women feisty," he retorted, snapping his teeth at me predatorially.

I just rolled my eyes and ignored him. I'd blown off plenty of guys like him, adding another to the list was nothing.

* * *

Tate left a little later and the rest of us Apparated to the tattoo place. I didn't have my license yet, so Teddy wrapped an arm around my shoulders and we co-Apparated. I need to describe how much I detested Apparating in general, much less co-Apparating. The hook pulling in my stomach wasn't pleasant, and I hated feeling like I was going to vomit.

"You're a little green, slim. You alright?" a heavily tattooed man asked, eyeing me swaying a little when we landed.

"Apparition isn't my favorite thing," I replied, steadying myself and letting Teddy keep his arm around me.

"Fair enough, been trying to convince Lupin to link the Floos for a while now," he smiled. "But I'm sure you know how stubborn he is."

I nodded with a knowing look on my face, subtly surprised he wasn't dazzled by me like normal blokes. Like he'd read my mind, he grinned and gestured to a picture on the wall behind him. A woman with a curtain of fine, silver hair and angular features stood beside him with a huge smile and a pregnant belly.

"Ah, that makes sense," I told him. "She's very Veela, a quarter I'm guessing."

"Good eye," he answered, pointing a finger gun at me.

"My maman is a quarter Veela, too."

"So, which one of you are going first?" he asked, eyeing all of us. "How about you, slim?"

I swallowed thickly before lifting my head, tilting it regally. I handed him my wand and he tapped it with his, displaying my information to him. When my age checked out, he gestured to the chair in the corner.

"I'm Devland, nice to know ya." He moved his wand through the air a little before lines started to appear -way cool! "Do you have any ideas?"

"I'm Victoire, and I want a moon going through its phases on the back of my hip," I answered in a quiet voice. "But just one moon, not a series of them. Does that make sense?"

"Don't worry, slim. Just lay back and trust me," he grinned, something behind his eyes making me trust him.

I laid down on my belly after lowering my shorts and knickers to give him my hip. I tried not to blush at the amount of skin I was exposing. I'm pretty sure this is the most naked I'd ever been in the presence of a boy, much less a group of them.

I'd never gotten a tattoo before obviously, but I'd read about how they were done. Like I expected, the initial outline on my skin only tickled, but the next part burned. As Devland started etching the design, Teddy came over and sat by my head.

"Slim, that's new," he quipped, making me frown with what he said next, "I prefer princess."

"I'll just tell my dad you took me to get a tattoo," I retorted back, smiling smugly at him.

He flashed me a mean look, but his eyes were alight with laughter. The burning on my hip was a little more bearable as the tattoo winded to a finish. From what I'd read, magical tattoos took less time than muggle ones and hurt a lot less. As Devland was cleaning off the finished product, a question struck me.

"Ted, you're a metamorphmagus," I stated. "Why don't you just put tattoos on your skin instead of getting them tattooed?"

"He's a masochist," Malik joked, coming over to stand beside Teddy and squeeze his shoulders.

"You're all done, slim," Devland announced, pushing back from the chair I was on and trashing his gloves. "And I think I've out done myself."

I held my shorts up and waddled over to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. The moon was beautiful, exactly how I pictured it. After the redness went down, it would be perfect and I couldn't wait to see it then. I watched the phases pass in awe and Teddy placed himself on the table with his shirt lying on his lap. Devland reclined the seat back and I watched Teddy roll onto his side and stretch out his body, giving me ample things to look at.

I rezipped my shorts and moved over to get a closer look at him. He was all lines and muscle, sinewy and lean. Merlin's Beard, he was so beautiful he put me to shame. I wanted to lay him flat on the chair and straddle his lap as I charted him out with my lips, but I kept the thought to myself.

"Mhm, what are you getting?" I asked leisurely, sitting in the chair across from his face so he could see me and holding his shirt in my lap. "Is it a portrait of my face?"

He rolled his eyes at my narcissism and replied, "No, I'd hate to hamper Dev with the putting your mug on me."

I watched Devland chuckle before going back to applying the outline to his skin. It looked like a rain storm with lightening coming from the clouds. I had no idea where it came from and I was curious to know.

"Why are you getting a storm?" I asked, watching Devland start etching the tattoo onto his bare ribs.

"Eh, why not?" he replied, but I knew better than to trust his flippant response.

Teddy never did anything without a plan, each of his tattoos had a story behind it. I'm sure this one did, too. It would irk me until he told me what it was, and I wouldn't stop poking and prodding until he shared the story. I was a Slytherin after all, I knew how to get what I wanted.

"Why'd you get a moon?" he asked, smiling when I pushed his hair out of his face.

"Why not?" I repeated smugly.

"Sucha brat," he teased, making my insides liquify with the smile he flashed me.

Merlin's beard, I wasn't doing a very good job at taking things slow.

* * *

 **I appreciate y'all reading my story! Thanks a billion.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I got another review! Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts, I really appreciate them so much!**

* * *

Teddy and I had hung out a handful of times since the tattoo, but nothing substantial. We'd always have someone else with us, usually a family member or one of his flat mates. Tonight, I was babysitting Hugo and Rose when Aunt Hermione Flooed in. She grinned at me happily, and I looked at her with a questioning expression.

"No one's ever this happy when they work at the Ministry," I accused, putting up the last plate with magic and going over to her.

"I was working on a case with a man who gave me a wonderful gift, but I'm afraid Ron and I can't enjoy it. I thought maybe you could," she replied mysteriously, handing me an envelope.

I raised an eyebrow as I opened the envelope before screeching when I saw its contents. There were two tickets to The Bent Winged Snitches next show along with two backstage passes. They were my favorite band in the entire world, and their concert has been sold out for nearly two months -since the day the tickets went on sale to be exact.

"Aunt Hermione, these are so awesome!" I cried, hugging her tight and making her laugh. "You're officially my favorite aunt, don't tell Aunt Ginny!"

"What's happening? Why did Vic scream?" Rose asked, rushing into the kitchen with Hugo on her heels.

"Your mum is the coolest person in the world!" I replied, showing the two of them my tickets.

They both looked at her with huge eyes, surprised she had access to those things. To them their mum worked a stuffy job where she did different things regarding wizard law. Granted, wizarding law wasn't the most interesting thing unless you were an Auror.

She just shrugged and told them playfully, "Remember how cool I am when it's bedtime… like it was thirty minutes ago!"

After we said goodnight, the two of them drug their feet the entire way to their rooms. Aunt Hermione went and tucked them in before coming back to talk with me. She was smiling and I could tell she was happy, it was nice to know her life was exactly how she wanted after everything she'd been through.

"So, who're you taking with you?" she asked, pouring herself a glass of wine and taking off her heels.

I thought for a bit, any of my friends would love to go with me. The problem was I couldn't pick just one of them, it wouldn't be fair. That was one of the only issues with having multiple best friend, it was hard to choose who to take places.

"I don't know, I can't choose one of my friends and leave the others out," I sighed, sitting at the bar and putting my chin on my hand. "What do you think?"

She tapped her chin dramatically, making me flash her a look with a teasing sneer. "Obviously, you should take Teddy."

My face must've showed how alarmed I was that she'd found me out. To the entire family, we were just rekindling our friendship. I knew Hermione well enough to know the look on her face, she knew more than everyone else.

"Victoire, I helped hunt down seven horcruxes. Figuring out your love life is hardly any comparison," she told me, her eyes twinkling as she sipped her wine. "I think you and Teddy are sweet together, he'd love to go with you."

Like she suggested, I owled Teddy when I got home and he was so excited he Flooed to our house. Thankfully, maman and dad were out to dinner and Louis was already asleep. The last thing I wanted was to come up with some reason for him being there at 10pm… something told me it wouldn't look completely friendly.

"Yes, yes, yes!" he cried, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me to spin in a circle.

"Hush, wild boy, Louis' asleep upstairs!" I reprimanded, hitting his back until he put me down. "And you should thank Aunt Hermione, she got the tickets and suggested I bring you."

"Honestly, 'toire, I'm hurt I wasn't your first thought," he replied, covering his heart dramatically and flopping back onto the couch.

"I know, it's almost like I have an entire group of best friends who also love The Bent Winged Snitches or something," I told him sarcastically, my face the perfect mask of surprise.

"Oh, so you think it's cute to forget I exist?" he asked, getting up from the couch and coming over to me with his fingers extended.

I sobered up quickly and held up my hands to stop him. "You put those away! I will not be tickled in my own home!"

"You don't like it when I use your tricks against you? That's too bad."

He chased me around the living room, catching me easily and throwing me onto the couch before following me down. He cast a hasty silencing charm before tickling me fiercely. I was shrieking with laughter, tears pouring down my face, as I tried to wiggled away from his fingers.

"Teddy!" I cried, tilting my head back as giggles kept coming out of me. "I'm going to pee on both of us!"

"Is that some weird sex thing I'm too young to understand?" Dominique asked, popping into the silencing charm and giving us a judgmental look.

"No, it's a werewolf thing," Teddy responded easily, not moving from his place on top of me. "Just as your mum and dad."

Dom gagged dramatically and left the bubble, leaving Ted and I alone again. I hit his chest and pouted up at him, the playful mood still floating around us.

"That was gross!" I whined, hitting his chest again. "I really don't want to think about my maman and dad peeing on each other or having sex!"

"I mean, both of them are pretty hot," he shrugged, sitting up and allowing me to do the same.

"That's it, you're just getting close to me again so you can hook up with my parents! How risqué!" I teased, standing up and turning to face him. "I'm personally offended, I think I got all the best parts of both of them."

He looked me up and down for a few seconds, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought. "I suppose you're right, you're pretty much perfect."

"Yeah, it's the Veela allure!" I dismissed him, turning to go get something to drink.

I was about to ask if he wanted anything when he stood and took my hand. His look fixed me to my spot, turning my insides to jelly. His eyes were staring straight into my soul and his lips were set in a straight line, making the intensity of the moment sink in.

"You're gorgeous, Victoire, Veela or not. You have to know that," he promised, pulling me close and brushing away the hair that had escaped my ponytail. "Merlin, you are absolutely perfect and have no idea."

I swallowed because I had no idea what to say to that because my stomach was too busy falling out of my butt. He was the only person in the world who could make me feel this way. I wasn't even _aware_ I could feel this way before him, honestly.

It was every Veela's dream to find someone who truly saw them instead of just their allure. Granted, Teddy could've been lying… but something told me he was being truthful. He was looking at me like I was his wildest dream come to life and it felt almost like I was dreaming.

If my parents hadn't Apparated into the kitchen in that moment, I can't promise I wouldn't have jumped Teddy. I'm not saying I would've shagged him… but we definitely would've done some serious snogging.

"Teddy, what are you doing here?" dad asked as he and maman came into the living room with us.

"He and I were talking about our relationship and how immature we've been. It wasn't fair on the family that we were always at each other's throats and agreed to work on it," I answered effortlessly, not lying or telling the complete truth. "Aunt Hermione gave me tickets to The Bent Winged Snitches and I invited him to go with me as a peace offering."

Dad looked between us for a couple minutes, measuring every centimeter between our bodies. After Allegro, I didn't blame him for being paranoid about me being alone with boys. But I knew he trusted Teddy, they worked together for crying out loud. He'd seen him grow and truly believed he wouldn't hurt me.

"Watch over my baby girl, then," he requested, patting Teddy's shoulder before he and maman disappeared upstairs.

"Why'd you just lie to your parents?" Teddy asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "He's seen us together."

I bit my bottom lip and kicked the toe of my shoe against the floor as I answered, "My maman knows I've been alone in your flat with you, but I've kept it from dad…"

"Victoire!" he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. "Why are you keeping that a secret? Are you ashamed to be with me?"

A flicker of self-doubt crossed his face and broke my heart. "No, I'm not ashamed of you at all! I'm just afraid to tell my dad, because what if he says I can't see you because of Allegro."

He sighed and sagged, the happiness from earlier drained out of him. "Victoire, we can't sneak around like we're doing something wrong. Right now, we're just friends who want to hang out, but I won't lie to your parents about it. I'd never take advantage of you when we're alone, your father needs to know that."

"I don't want you to lie, Ted. Do you blame me for being afraid after what happened?" I asked nervously. "Dad doesn't even want me to be alone with Anth and he's been my best friend since we were eleven."

"Before we go out for real instead of just as friends, I'm going to talk to your dad. You can either tell him about us being alone together or it'll be a surprise when I spring it on him," he told me, taking my hands in his. "I'm not hiding because we're not doing anything wrong, 'toire. You don't have to either."

Teddy was right, and I felt a little ridiculous. "I'm sorry I sound like such a schoolgirl about this."

He brought my hands up to his mouth and kissed the tops of both. "You don't, you sound scared after someone took advantage of you. I swear I will never hurt you or do anything you don't want me to do. I'll never break your trust again, Victoire."

I swallowed, making an audible sound in the silent room. He pulled me to his chest and I held him close, releasing a relieved breath. I believed him when he told me he wouldn't hurt me again, especially not like Allegro did. This could either be the dumbest thing I'd ever done, or it could make my life a million times better.

Only time would tell.

* * *

Adelaide, Jade, Bat, and Anth all came over the day of the concert to help me pick out the perfect outfit. I wanted everything to be perfect for tonight, even if it technically wasn't a date. I was glad they weren't upset I was taking Teddy, but something told me it was only because they wanted us together.

"So, you want to go sexy, right?" Addie asked, looking through my closet as I laid on my bed with my head in Anth's lap. "But not so sexy your dad kills you."

"That's the idea," I answered, looking up at the stars my dad charmed onto my ceiling when I was a kid.

"How about this top with a pair of black jeans?" Bat suggested, pulling out an off-the-shoulder top with black and white stripes. "it shows your shoulders and a bit of your stomach, but it's also something your dad won't kill you for."

I rolled off the bed and pulled my tank top over my head, making Anth whistle. I flipped him off and pulled the shirt on, picking out a pair of high-waisted jeans to go with it. When I looked in the mirror, I nodded appreciatively and turned to display the outfit to my friends.

"You're hot, no surprise," Anth remarked, flashing me a bored look.

I treated Anth the same as the girls, not thinking twice about changing in front of him. He did the same with us, and it had never been weird. If he ever got a serious girlfriend, I'm sure that would be a problem with them… but we'd deal with that when it happened.

"Now, let's play around with your makeup and hair!" Jade exclaimed, grabbing my hand and leading the way to the bathroom. "Dominique, we're getting V ready if you want to join!"

I enchanted the bathroom bigger so we could all fit as the girls went through my makeup. Anth sat on the edge of the toilet and looked bored out of his mind. He was good with hair straightening charms, he was honestly good with a lot of cosmetic charms. Like he'd read my mind, he pointed his wand at my hair and said the charm, moving his hand and laying my hair straight against my back.

"I'm thinking a thick wing with a red lip," Bat suggested, holding up the matte lipstick and eyeliner pen. "What about you, V?"

I grinned, "That sounds wonderful. Make me beautiful."

Dom came in right as the girls set to work and Anth came closer to get all the bits of my hair. It was fine, so I had a couple fly-aways that were a bit hard to tame. Eventually, I needed him to teach me the charm because he wouldn't be around all the time to use it.

Dominique extended her hand with my black, flowered choker in it. "Add this, your neck looks too bare with the neckline of your top and only that necklace."

"Little V is right," Anth agreed, making Dom glare back at him for calling her that nickname. "What? It could stand for little Veela or little Victoire, don't look at me like that."

"Leave her alone," Bat said, wrapping an arm around Dom's shoulders and pulling her closer. "She's her own person!"

I watched Dominique's cheeks burn bright red and recognized the look. I'd never given much thought to her love life, I figured it would happen when it happened. But now I was curious if she was starting to explore romance.

My makeup was perfect by the time Jade, Bat, and Addie finished with it. Then I turned to Anth and he cast a charm to keep it in place. I could've done it myself, but it was much easier for him to apply it.

"We're going to skedaddle before your date that's not a date starts," Jade said as we made our way down to the living room.

"We expect all the graphic details tomorrow," Addie squealed, squeezing my hand and jumping at bit before the group Flooed away.

"Dom, can we talk for a minute?" I asked, sitting on the sofa and patting the spot beside me. "What was that with Bat earlier? You turned so red you matched your hair!"

She started spluttering and I realized exactly what was wrong. "You have a crush on Bat!"

"I'm not gay," she said firmly, but I could tell she wasn't so sure. "I can't be gay."

I pulled her to me and ran my fingers through her hair soothingly, feeling her start crying against my chest. "You can be whoever you are, and I'll love you the same. I don't care if you like girls or boys or like nobody at all. You're my little sister and I'll always protect you and care for you, no matter what."

"I've always felt different, like I didn't fit in," she sobbed while I rocked her. "I've never looked at boys like you do or like Molly does. I'm not normal, I've never been normal, I'm so afraid to add liking girls to the list."

"Liking girls is normal, Dom," I reassured her, brushing her hair from her face and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Actually, there is no normal to compare yourself to. You just need to be who you are and be proud. I'm proud of you, telling me was huge."

She laughed shakily and sat up, wiping her face with the sleeve of her jumper. "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell maman. She'd be so angry."

"Dom, maman knows Teddy's bisexual and doesn't care. You liking girls is just another thing," I reassured her. "There's no rush to come out just yet, do it at your own pace."

By the time she was okay again, it was time for me to meet Teddy at his place. When she promised she was going to be fine if I left her alone, I Flooed to his flat. He was sitting on the sofa and jumped to his feet when I approached him, hugging me close.

"You look incredible," he remarked when he released me. "I'm going to be more focused on keeping men away from you than the show itself."

I smirked smugly at him and said, "That sounds like a personal problem to me."

"Sucha mouthy little brat," he told me, a smirk on his lips as he pulled me back against him and Apparated us to the venue. Then he whispered in my ear, "Now my attention can be focused all on you, pretty girl."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! The next chapter is one of my favorites, I can't wait to post it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Everything was bright and loud at the venue, bunches of people dressed in leather with bright colors. A punk concert audience if I've ever seen one. Teddy fit right in with his ripped jeans, bright blue hair, and dragon skin boots. We stood together in line with me leaning against the brick wall and him standing in front of me.

"Have I ever told you that you're the best friend I've ever had?" Teddy asked, brushing my hair over my shoulder and letting his fingers linger a bit over my collarbone. "And the most beautiful."

"That's not a very friendly thing to say," I teased, catching his hand and twining our fingers before letting them hang between us.

He smiled and the line started moving, the crowd being let inside finally. I made sure to flip my hair over my shoulder when I showed the man my ticket. He let me go ahead of the others in the line and I pulled Teddy behind me. I'd ensured we got front row because men were easy to trick.

"You're such a Slytherin," he whispered in my ear, placing himself behind me with his hands on my hips. "Using your Veela powers to get us to the front, that's not very fair."

"Fair is objective, wild boy," I teased back, tugging a handful of his hair.

When he flashed me a confused look, I explained the sudden nickname. "You fit in perfectly here because you're wild."

He pursed his lips at me but said nothing, making me laugh as the crowd cheered around us. I cheered along with the rest of the crowd when I saw the band on the stage, lifting my hands in the air when the singer introduced the band. Teddy and I danced together to the music, singing with each other and our heads tossed back. It was the most carefree I'd ever been, and I was so glad Teddy was here to share it with me.

They slowed the music down a bit toward the middle, the song a romantic one. It felt like Teddy pulled me closer to his chest, resting his chin on my shoulder as he sang the words in my ear quietly. We just kept having romantic moments between us that friends couldn't share. Our feelings were growing, every single time the tension brewing between us got thicker.

* * *

The show was so brilliant, I was disappointed when it ended. Then Teddy reminded me we had backstage passes and I started bouncing on my heels. I clutched his hand in both mine and tried my best to not run to the room they were in.

"Ah, we've got ourselves a Veela, boys. Look at that," the lead singer announced, but his smile wasn't predatory like I'd feared. "Hey, sweetheart, how'd you like the show?"

"I thought it was brilliant!" I exclaimed, making the group of them snicker. "Your music is so good!"

We talked more about the show before he and Teddy started talking about curse breaking of all things. I just looked at the group of men around me and stalled for a second. This was the first time in my life every man wasn't looking at me. It was kind of nice, if I didn't want their attention at the moment.

"So, you and your girl have a favorite song of ours?" Timmins, the lead singer, asked. "We could make a little enchanted recording if you want."

Instead of telling them I wasn't Teddy's girl, I answered eagerly. "I For You."

That was the song Teddy sang in my ear during the show, and I don't think I could ever hear it the same way again. I saw Timmins grin knowingly before tapping the record with his wand. I was a bit surprised at the use of a muggle object, but it was retro and cute. When it was finished, he slid the record into a sleeve and handed it to me after the band signed it for us.

"She's a keeper, mate. Better hold on tight," the bass player told Teddy, eying me sleazily for a second before grinning.

"Right," Teddy replied, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading the way out of the venue after we said goodbye. "That smarmy prat, looking at you like you're a piece of meat."

I snickered and started walking backward so I could see his face after I shrank the record and pocketed it. "Are you jealous, Ted?"

"Of course, do you blame me?" he asked in exasperation. "Imagine if as many girls and dudes looked at me as men look at you!"

"You oblivious oaf," I giggled, falling into step beside him and holding the bend of his arm. "All kinds of people look at you! You're gorgeous, wild boy."

His hair flamed red as his face flushed bright. "You're off your rocker, 'toire!"

I shook my head and pulled us to a stop, moving out of the flow of foot traffic. "There's always been a line of people hoping to share your bed. You're far more beautiful than me, Teddy."

He looked at me in disbelief before he smirked and his hair went back to blue. "You're jealous of people you don't even know exist! How cute!"

I slapped his shoulder and hissed, "I am not jealous of all the people you've shagged! As long as I'm the next and the last."

I winked before hitting the crosswalk button and shuffling across the street to the restaurant. It was pretty late, and it looked like the only place open. I'd thought ahead and gone to Gringotts with maman to transfer some of my money into muggle currency in preparation for tonight.

I'd just sat down at a booth when Teddy rushed into the place with pink hair and a surprised expression. He sat across from me and looked at me, mouth hanging open with complete surprise. I must've really thrown him for a loop when I said that.

"Yes?" I asked, extending my foot under the table to push at his. "Is something wrong?"

"Hi, can I take your order?" a man said, coming over to our table with a pad in his hands.

"Can I get a water, please?" I asked, flashing Teddy a look. "Are you going to order, wild boy?"

"A water," he said in a dazed voice as he continued to stare at me. When we were alone, he tasked, "What has gotten into you tonight?"

My eyes were twinkling I'm sure when I replied, "Nothing yet, but the night's still young."

I didn't honestly know the answer, things just felt different. We weren't at home, we were existing in a world without family or responsibilities tonight. I felt like a different Victoire who didn't want to censor herself around Teddy for once.

"You are being very naughty tonight," he said, finally falling into flirtatious mode.

I smirked and waggled my brows, reaching across the table to run my fingertip over the length of his fingers. "Something about tonight feels naughty, doesn't it?"

The waiter came back over and gave us our drinks, hanging around to take our order. I held his eyes as I ordered my food, watching his hands shake and his eyes glaze over. I winked at the end and watched his knees got weak -that was funny.

Teddy tried his best to keep his anger at bay, but I could see it in the set of his jaw. He knew it wasn't the man's fault, but he was still annoyed it happened. I honestly didn't even mean to do anything. I was just so buzzed off Teddy, it happened.

"That wasn't very cute," he told me when we were alone again. "I don't like that Victoire very much."

I deflated at his words and sagged in my booth, my appetite leaving. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry… I'll stop."

"That's not what I meant, I just don't like you trying to make me jealous at the expense of other men," he explained, taking my hand in his on the table. "The flirty, bold Victoire can play as long as she wants, as long as she's only playing with me."

It took me a minute or two to get comfortable again, but the teasing Victoire was gone now. I'd lost a bit of my confidence, but I wasn't going to tell him that. He would take it too personally. The last thing I wanted was to lose control again, I already felt guilty enough.

"So, are we going to talk about the charm on my necklace?" I asked, fingering the moon as I spoke. "It's quite the enchantment."

His cheeks turned red and he looked down at our hands instead of at me. "Oh, yeah, I guess I did that. It's not a big deal."

"Bullshit!" I exclaimed, making a few people look at me. I lowered my voice before I continued, "That was crazy magic! How'd you do that amount of charms in that little time?"

"I'm a curse breaker, love. It's what I do," he winked, trying to regain control of the conversation.

Our waiter had either the worst or the best timing because he chose then to bring us our food. I didn't even look at him this time, Teddy had my full attention. Something about him talking about his competence so confidently had my insides quaking.

We ate and kept glancing at each other, him smirking and me licking my lips teasingly. I crossed my legs and ran the tip of my boot up his calf while sipping my water, the picture of innocence to anyone looking at us. Teddy, on the other hand, knew that was the furthest thing from true.

"There she is. I missed bold 'toire," he observed after he finished his chips.

"You've seen nothing yet," I replied, wiping my mouth and lying my napkin on the table. "Let's head back, yeah?"

Without waiting for his response, I got up from the booth and went to the register. I had a brief talk with the woman behind it and left the waiter's tip with her before heading over to grab Teddy's hand.

"Come on, let's go to your flat," I requested, leading him out into the street. "Maybe I'll show what's gotten into me…"

He growled and tucked us into an alley so he could Disapparate. When we were in his living room, things felt like they'd ignite between us at any moment. I pulled the record from my pocket and placed it on his record player after I re-enlarged it, dropping the needle into the groove. The soft tones filled the room, making me sway my hips as I turned to look at him. He was staring at me with wild eyes, watching as I turned my back to his front.

"Let's recreate the best part of the concert," I told him quietly, taking his hands and placing them on my waist. "You were right here, and I was somewhere about here."

I leaned back in his embrace and moved my hips, pressing lightly back against him. A grunt left his lips before he started moving with me. I could feel his breath against the exposed part of my neck as I reclined my head back to rest against his shoulder. When his lips barely brushed over my pulse point, a needy whimper left me I'd never made before.

"Victoire," he breathed out my name and it almost sounded like a prayer.

I brought my arm up to knot in the hair at the back of his neck as his lips pressed to my throat. They were gentle kisses, barely brushing my skin, but they made my knees feel weak. Noises and his name were leaving me in whimpers, sounds I'd no doubt be ashamed of later but couldn't control now.

He spread his fingers out and placed them on my stomach, the roughness of his palm rubbing across the exposed skin of my belly. No man had ever touched me there before and it had me melting. On a rotation of my hips, I felt something firm press against my bum. A beat later, I realized what it was and moaned without meaning to.

I gripped his thigh to keep myself from losing balance as I sucked in a breath. The last thing I wanted was to stop, but I didn't want things to get out of control either. Like he'd read my mind, his hips stopped moving and he put a little distance between us.

"Merlin's beard, you make me lose my mind," he breathed, running an anxious hand through his hair before awkwardly adjusting himself. "Sorry, shit."

I shook my head and went back over to him, placing my hand on his chest. "Don't apologize, wild boy, I wanted it."

He groaned and took the back of my neck in his hand, lowering his mouth to hover over mine. I extended up onto my tiptoes and pressed our lips together for the first time. I felt like every nerve in my body was exposed and firing at once. I'd done my fair share of kissing in my seventeen years, but none of them ever felt like this.

I gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him infinitely closer to me as I deepened the kiss. My tongue pressed against his, making a wanton noise of his own escape this time. He brought his other hand to rest on my lower back, eliminating all the space between our bodies once more.

With our lips moving in sync with each other, I let my hands explore his body. I felt all the rigid muscles of his torso, sliding my fingers along the valleys of his stomach. Then I brought them up the center of his chest, spreading my fingers out to feel the solidness of him. His hands, however, stayed where he'd originally placed them: on the back of my neck and my lower back.

Even if I really wanted to walk him backward to the couch and straddle his lap, I didn't. I pulled back from him and tried to catch my breath. When I opened my eyes, I saw him gazing down at me with bubblegum pink hair and smiled. I'd never seen him lose control of his hair when he was with other people, it was something only I made happen.

"I want to take you on a real date," he said when he'd caught his breath.

"I'd like that," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck and playing with the curls at the nape of it. "I'd also like to kiss you again. And again. And again."

He laughed and lowered his forehead to rest against mine. "And I want to kiss you again and again and again, but not until you tell your dad what's really happening between us."

I pouted and looked up at him, knowing he would stick to his word with this no matter how much I begged. When he didn't bend, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek before going back into the Floo. I winked and threw down the powder to go home.

* * *

 **I hope you loved this chapter as much as I did!**


	10. Chapter 10

**There was a bit of confusion in the last chapter. Teddy was angry with Victoire for using her Veela to flirt with the waiter while she was on a date with him. He didn't want her manipulating another person just for the hell of it. I hope that clears things up!**

* * *

The thought of telling dad the truth about my relationship with Teddy made me nauseous. I knew dad liked Teddy well enough, but that was before he knew we were going on a date. The last thing I wanted was to ruin their relationship or cost Teddy his job. He loved being a curse breaker, it was all he ever wanted to be. I dreamed of going to Auror Academy, but all he did was ask dad question after question about how to be like him.

Addie and Bat were currently at the house with me, the three of us lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling. We were brainstorming the best way to break the news to dad and coming up blank. They understood my fear, dad would see the age gap and freak out after Allegro.

"Hey, Victoire… oh, I didn't know you had friends over," Dom shouted, coming into my room and stopping short when she saw us all on the bed. "Oh, I can just come back later. You look busy."

"Where?" Addie asked, turning her head to look at Dom. "We're literally laying in her bed, brainstorming nothing. Add that Ravenclaw brain to the mix, yeah?"

Bat made an excited noise and somersaulted off my bed, making me lift onto my elbows to look at her. She rushed over to Dom and put her hands on her shoulders, shaking her a bit. Dominique looked like she was going to spontaneously combust on the spot and it made me snicker, she was _so_ in puppy love with Bat. It was almost cute.

"You're a genius! You're the obvious one to ask about this!" Bat cried, leading her to my bed and sitting beside her.

I didn't miss the way Dom's eyes grew bigger when their knees pressed together. "Uhm, wh-what do you need my help with?"

"Teddy told V she has to tell your dad they've been hanging out alone together before they go on a date," Addie explained, picking up on Dom's mood change but not saying anything.

She thought for a second, her eyes never going in Bat's direction. "I think you should just tell him. I'm sure he has an idea you're dating or close to it. I mean, the entire family knows and dad's pretty smart. I'm sure he's noticed the necklace you never take off."

She was right, like usual. I never took off Teddy's necklace and displayed the sky when I was in my bed alone at night. I also replayed the night of the concert in my head, too, a lot more often than the sky.

"After we kissed like that, there's no way I can go back to just being his friend. I felt more in that kiss than anything any boy has ever done to me," I sighed dreamily. "I still can't decide if leaving that night was a good idea or not, I would've gladly let him take me on his sofa."

"You think that now, but you would've lost your mind if you actually went through with it," Addie replied, hitting me with a pillow. "You're too much of a romantic to lose your virginity in a concert-induced, lusty romp."

"Can you not be right for like three seconds? It's annoying," I sneered teasingly, hitting her back with a different pillow. "I just meant I want to be with him, but I know he won't be with me if my dad doesn't want us together. A lot rests on how he responds and it makes me nervous."

"Daddy loves you, Vic. He's got your best interest at heart," Dom promised, patting my leg. "You just have to explain how strongly you feel about Teddy and he'll understand… or maman will help him understand."

That was normally how things went in our house. Dad thought he was in charge, but really everyone knew maman made the decisions. And she happened to really like the idea of Teddy and I together.

"He sees past my Veela to see me," I told them in a quiet voice. "Nobody's ever seen me. I can't lose that."

Addie's eyes were sparkling, Bat was clutching Dom's hand, and Dom was trying her best to not pass out while simultaneously being happy for me. They knew how much weight what I just said carried.

"So, let's hope it works out," I added, flopping back into my bed. "Why can't he just want to love me in secret?"

"Because then you'd get your heart broken and think he was ashamed of you," Bat replied, playing with the end of Dom's braid. "I love your hair so much, it's so pretty."

She looked almost like she could cry she was so overwhelmed. "Oh, thanks, yours is pretty, too. Not that your hair is the only thing pretty about you, you have a lot of pretty things. Godric, I'm gonna go."

Dominique hopped off my bed and ran out of the room, slamming my door behind her. I would talk with her later, but I had a mission right now. Addie and Bat were looking at me for an explanation, but I just shrugged. Dom's secret was locked up tight and I wouldn't tell anyone, it was her truth to speak whenever she was ready… even if I was pretty sure they had an idea.

"Fourteen's a weird age," I shrugged. "I'm going to go tell my dad before I run out of steam. I'll report back when it's over."

They stayed back in my room and I made my way downstairs. Dad was moving his wand in the air as he read from a book on his lap. Of course, he was working on his curse breaking even on his day off. It was no surprise Dominique was as book-crazy as she was honestly.

"Dad, can we talk?" I asked, sitting beside him on the sofa.

"Of course, poppet, what's up?" he asked, closing the book and lying his wand on top of it.

I took a breath and closed my eyes, working up that last bit of courage. "Daddy, Teddy and I have been hanging out a lot lately and it hasn't just been as friends. He wants to take me on a date."

I said it in a rush, but I had no doubt dad understood me. The look on his face told me he was more than surprised. I guess dad was really in the dark about it, he never did see things he was trying his best to avoid. It was a Weasley man trait.

"Victoire, why didn't you tell me?" he asked finally.

"I was afraid you wouldn't let me see him," I answered honestly, figuring I should just show him all my cards. "I already lost him once, I really didn't want to lose him again."

"Vic, he's so much older than you," dad started, but I just shook my head.

"He's two years older than me," I replied indignantly. "You're four years older than maman and you met when she was my age!"

"We hardly started dating then," he argued, his face remaining calm and infuriating me all the more. "Boys Teddy's age have one thing on their mind, Victoire."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "Men of any age have one thing on their mind and so do women, and it's only stronger when they look at me despite their age. Don't make this sexist because you don't want me with Teddy. That's demeaning and untrue."

"I don't want you to get hurt again," he told me, trying to calm me down before I went into full Veela mode. "I don't ever want to see you like I did that night again."

"Daddy, Teddy would never hurt me like that," I promised, my anger ebbing away at his concern. "He was even angrier than you that night if you can believe that. I had to stop him from seriously hurting Allegro."

Dad rubbed his eyes, looking far older than he was. "I need to speak with Teddy about this before I make any final decisions. I don't care if you're seventeen or seventy, you're my little girl and I want what's best for you."

He hugged me and kissed my head, asking a question I was surprised took this long to come up. "How long has your mother known about this?"

"Is that really necessary?" I asked, wheedling to keep from getting her in trouble and completely neglecting mentioning the rest of the family knowing too. "I have guests upstairs, you should probably ask maman that when she gets home tonight."

He released me with a skeptical look and I ran upstairs. I needed to warn Teddy about what he was walking into tomorrow.

"You're not crying so I assume it went well," Bat observed as I sat at my desk. "And you're writing a letter, so either Bill said you couldn't be together so you're asking Teddy to run away or you're telling him to come here right now and bang you."

"Yes, because those are obviously the only options," Addie quipped, getting up from my bed and coming over to peek at my parchment. "He didn't immediately say no, he said he's going to have a talk with Teddy before he decides. Which basically means he's going to threaten Teddy with bodily harm if he touches V in any way other than friendly."

"But I want him to touch me! On my lady bits!" I sighed, signing the letter and folding it into an envelope.

That made Addie and Bat burst into hysterical giggles, the sound of it following me down the hall. I gave Hazel the letter and a biscuit, letting her out the window and hurrying back upstairs to my friends.

* * *

Addie and Bat left after dinner and I made my way up to Dom's room. She didn't come down to eat and I was a little worried. I knocked on her door softly, waiting for her to answer me.

When I heard a meager 'come in,' I pushed inside and closed the door behind me. She was hiding under her covers like I did when I was upset. I got underneath there with her, pulling her into a hug like she'd done to me. And like me, she started crying.

"What's wrong, love?" I asked, running my fingers through her hair and rubbing behind her ears soothingly.

"I made a total ass of myself in front of Bat. Your friends know I'm gay now, they have to!" she cried, sitting up and turning her back to me.

I started French braiding her hair, feeling her relax back against me. "Bat and Addie wouldn't care if you screwed every girl in the area, they think you're cool. Bat doesn't care you said that, you were kind of cute."

She groaned and laid back against me when her braid was finished. "Me babbling like an imbecile isn't cute! It's embarrassing!"

"Do you know how many times I embarrass myself in front of Teddy daily?" I asked. "More times than I can count and he still thinks I'm too beautiful for that word to even describe me."

"Because Teddy's a lovesick sap!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. "I'm the lovesick sap in this situation! And Bat doesn't even know I exist as more than her best mate's little sister!"

I knew there was no getting anywhere with her right now, she was too upset. Instead, I laid back down and pulled her with me. With her lying against my chest, I sang to her quietly and rubbed her back.

* * *

I was making breakfast for me, Dominique, and Louis the next morning when the Floo roared. Aunt Ginny called my name and announced she was leaving Lily with me before leaving. Like I figured, Lily came into the kitchen with me, letting me lift her up onto the counter so she could watch what I was doing.

"So, Lils, what do you want to do today?" I asked, handing her a glass of pumpkin juice. "You're the first one up, you get to make the plans."

"Can we go to Honeydukes?" she asked with big eyes. "Mommy left me with some money."

"I suppose we can swing by Hogsmeade if you go wake up Louis and Dominique while I finish breakfast," I suggested, watching her brown eyes grow three sizes before she hopped down and ran up the stairs. "Be careful, a trip to Mungo's isn't on the list!"

She giggled, her feet pounding up the stairs as she screamed for Louis and Dom. I put the French toast onto plates and sat them at the table, snorting when the kids stumbled into the kitchen with me. Louis' hair was sticking up like a ducktail and Dominique looked more like a zombie than a person. We were not a family of morning people.

"I'm sure Lily told you, but we're heading to Hogsmeade after breakfast," I announced, sipping my tea. "

Louis immediately started chattering about all the things he wanted to do when we got there. He and Lily shrieked about the different types of candy they wanted to buy as Dominique glared at her plate, alternating rolling her eyes and chewing. It was a skill, multitasking at its finest -we were a multitasking family.

After I washed sticky hands and faces, I dressed Louis and myself in record time. Dominique took Lily into the Floo with her and I brought Louis with me, Flooing to the Leaky Cauldron. Professor Longbottom was sitting at the bar with Alice sitting on the stool beside him and Frank bouncing behind the counter with Hannah.

"Kids, want a Butterbeer? On the house, of course!" Hannah shouted, making Louis and Lily rush over. "Non-alcoholic for the little ones."

We all sat at the bar, Lily talking with Alice about her dress and Louis trying to bounce as high as Frank to no avail. I peeked at Dominique out of the corner of my eye and saw she was still frowning.

"Dom, it's going to be okay. Bat is only the first girl you've got a crush on, there'll be tons more," I reassured her, placing my hand on top of hers.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I had a similar experience in school," Professor Longbottom said, making Dominique freeze and blush beet red. "I fancied your Aunt Hermione for the first three years of Hogwarts and your Aunt Ginny my fourth year."

"Then he met me and realized I was the best he'd ever seen," Hannah grinned, passing us mugs of Butterbeer.

"Professor Longbottom, please don't tell anyone! My parents wouldn't understand!" Dom begged, her movements erratic as she faced the professor. "I don't even know if I am… like that yet."

"No worries, Nev and I know how to keep secrets," Hannah reassured her. "My parents and his Grandma didn't know I was pregnant with Frank until almost two months after the wedding."

My eyes widened as I looked at the two of them. I never pictured Neville and Hannah Longbottom doing anything against the rules. Having a baby out of wedlock was frowned upon by most older wizards, Neville's Gran included. I bet Augusta nearly had a coronary when she found out.

"We're heading to Honeydukes if you want to send your lot with us," I suggested quietly during a lull in conversation.

"I couldn't ask you to do that, Victoire, they're heathens," Hannah said, eyeing Frank who was daring Louis to stack sugar cubes on his forehead. "At least he is."

Professor Longbottom shook his head and told me, "I can. Take my kids, you don't even have to bring them back if you don't want to."

I snickered and herded the children toward the door, pointing to Honeydukes and instructing them to go for it. The last thing I saw before I followed them was Professor Longbottom chasing Hannah up the stairs, smacking her bum and making me roll my eyes.

They only let me take their kids so they could shag. And they say love is only for the young.

* * *

 **I love Neville, and I wanted to add him to the story.**


	11. Chapter 11

When dad got home from work, I practically tackled him to the ground. I was so anxious to hear what happened with Teddy, I'd forgone any type of politeness. He was my dad, I think it was allowed.

"So, what happened?" I asked, bouncing on my heels.

"You're never this excited about my day, poppet," he remarked, ignoring what I was really asking. "We dealt with a new shipment of ancient artifacts from Cairo. Those Egyptians sure loved their curses, I must've broken over a hundred before lunch alone."

I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest. "Dad!"

"I spoke to Teddy today and he told me the ultimatum he gave you. I'm a little angry you only told me the truth because of what he said, but I respect him for doing it," he answered, sitting on the sofa. "I agreed to let him take you on a date, but no more of these spontaneous trips to his flat. I don't want you alone with him like that."

I wanted to argue with him I was old enough to make my own decisions, but I bit my tongue. Right now, I'd gotten what I wanted and didn't want to ruin that. So, instead of looking a hippogriff straight in the mouth, I hurried upstairs to write to Teddy asking about what really happened today and to my friends to tell them the news.

 _Teddy,_

 _Considering my dad is in my living room instead of awaiting trial at Azkaban, I assume today went well. He said our date was okay, as long as I don't go to your flat with you alone. It's as if I'm fourteen years old or something!_

 _I knew better than to question him, or he might pull the entire date off the table. Even if I'm the oldest daughter, he still thinks I'm a child._

 _Victoire_

I folded up the letter and laid it on the corner of my desk before writing a single letter to copy for all my friends.

 _The date is a go! Need to rendezvous and plan the perfect outfit soon!_

I made four copies of the letter and took my parchment back downstairs. Hazel was a trooper this summer, sending all the family mail without as much as a nip to the fingers. She even nuzzled my hand as I tied the letters to her leg.

"Can you take these to the guys and Teddy?" I asked, kissing the soft feathers at the top of her head. "You're a good girl, Hazzie."

She cooed and clicked her beak affectionately before taking off out the window.

* * *

The date was set for Saturday, and all my friends came over for a sleepover Friday night. Teddy said to wear whatever I wanted, I'd be gorgeous no matter what it was. After I swooned for a few minutes, I decided to go semi-formal.

"This dress is beautiful and it still has the tags on it!" Jade exclaimed, pulling out an off-the-shoulder wine colored dress. "You've got to wear it!"

I nodded and dug around in my shoe chest, coming out with a pair of chunky black heels. "With these shoes."

Addie nodded, bouncing on the bed where she sat. Anth reached over and stilled her, making her stick her tongue out at him in response. They'd been friends the longest out of all of us because they lived in the same building, two flats apart. Growing up as muggleborns, they bonded over having magic.

"When are you going to admit you're in love?" Jade asked, eyeing the two of them.

"The 31st of November in the year of mind your business," Anth snapped back, making me barely keep my laughter at bay.

After my outfit was picked out, we headed downstairs to raid the kitchen. Maman was sitting in the living room with dad, no kids in sight. Instead of springing apart, they just looked at me petulantly until we were out of the living room.

"Your parents were so snogging!" Jade teased, opening the fridge and getting the pumpkin juice.

I sighed and nodded in agreement, getting up onto the counter and taking a drink from the bottle before passing it. "They're all over each other all the time. It's almost disgusting, if they weren't so in love."

"And hot," Anth added, making me throw my hands up in frustration. "What?"

"Why does everyone think my parents are so hot? I'm going to develop a freakin' complex!" I exclaimed. "Teddy also thinks they're hot."

That caused them all to start laughing and me to roll my eyes, drinking more juice. Once they all calmed down, Jade sat at the table with Bat and Anth with Addie beside me on the counter.

"So, are you going to join the non-virgin squad soon?" Addie asked in a quiet voice so we wouldn't be overheard. "Jade got you that peng baby doll. Teddy would die if he saw you in it."

"Jesus, keep that to yourself, yeah? I just convinced my dad to let me see Teddy," I said quietly but my voice tense. "I don't fancy him going back on it before tomorrow. Anyway, I'm not planning on losing my virginity any time soon."

"You were literally telling us a few weeks ago that him _looking_ at you made you ruin your knickers, yet you're saying you're not going to shag his brains out?" Bat accused, eyeing me in disbelief.

I knew my face was absolutely _FLAMING_ at her statement. The talk of sex with Teddy made me nervous and embarrassed and excited all at once. I'd never even entertained the thought of sleeping with anyone until that day in Teddy's kitchen and then again in his living room.

"It's our first date!" I tried to reason, but I knew my voice was unsteady.

They all saw it and went in for the kill. "Victoire Weasley!"

"You're gagging for his dick!" Jade cried in a whisper, making me yelp and cover my face with my hands. "Just look at you!"

"With the way she's lusting after him, she'll be gagging _on_ his dick sooner rather than later!" Anth teased just as quietly.

"I'm too gay for this conversation!" Bat cried, making me snort and some of my embarrassment ebb away.

"Speaking of being gay, is Dom into Bat?" Jade asked in a nearly silent whisper. "I know you won't tell us, V, but I was asking the others if they noticed."

To my surprise, Bat's cheeks flushed and she remained silent while the others discussed Dominique's possible feelings. I knew my lack of an answer told them the truth, but I couldn't out Dom.

"A better question, is Bat into Dom?" Anth asked, finally catching the sporadic change in the color of her face.

"That's a question I can get behind," I agreed, finally joining the conversation. "You've been flirty…"

Bat looked at me and stalled for a few minutes, trying to figure out the best answer. "Dominique is beautiful, everyone knows that. She's also smart and funny and really nice to talk to…"

"Bat, you're allowed to fancy my little sister as long as it's not some fleeting thing you're going to be bored of in a couple weeks," I said, getting off the counter and going to sit beside her. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"That's why I haven't really made a move," she sighed, tracing the lines of the wood on the table. "I don't want to hurt her. She's probably never even been kissed before."

"I didn't think the Veela allure worked on girls," Addie said in confusion.

I shook my head and replied, "It doesn't, it only works on men, and they can create an immunity to it they more they're exposed to us. It's why Anth doesn't nearly choke every time he sees me like he did when I first came into my Veela."

He stuck his tongue out at me before flipping me the bird a couple seconds later. Whatever conversation was going to follow was cut short by a breathy giggle coming from the living room. Gross, that was my maman and I didn't like the sound of it.

"We need to be anywhere that isn't here. That's the sound she makes when they're close to shagging!" I shrieked, making my friends all huddle around me.

"Let's go to my house," Jade announced, Apparating out of the kitchen.

Anth wrapped an arm around my waist and we were sucked up into the air together.

* * *

I ran my hands down the front of my dress for the billionth time as I looked in the mirror. My makeup and hair were done exactly like I wanted and my outfit was as perfect as we'd all hoped, but I was so nervous I felt like I was going to vomit.

"Victoire, Teddy's here!" maman shouted up the stairs to me.

I stood up from my vanity and took a calming breath, gathering myself. Then I went to the stairs and held the rail as I made my entrance. Well, it wasn't necessarily supposed to be an entrance, but I felt eyes on me when I reached the bottom.

I met Teddy's gaze and smiled when I saw his reaction. His hair was bubblegum pink like it always was when he lost control of himself around me, but his nose turning from a duck's bill to a pig's snout and back to normal made me laugh. How people didn't see his mum in him was astounding to me.

"Hi," I said quietly, walking up to him and stopping when we were about a foot apart. "Are those for me?"

I gestured to the snapdragons in his hand and saw him smile, handing them to me. "Yeah, I know they're your favorite. Not the white roses you say to sound more elegant."

When I reached up to touch the flowers, they closed around my finger and made me cry out. They were magical snapdragons, the flower blossoms even had dragon scales on them and everything. They smelled floral and like burning fire at the same time, making me take a big inhale -they were part of my Amortentia after all.

"They're beautiful!" I told him, almost his height in my heels so hugging him was easier. "This is off to a smashing start."

"He brought you flowerz?" Maman exclaimed, coming into the living room with the two of us. "Zey are beautiful!"

I let her take them from me before disappearing back into the kitchen. I had no doubt she and dad were watching us with Dominique in tow, but it didn't matter. All I could focus on was the handsome man standing in front of me.

"You shaved for the occasion?" I asked, reaching up to stroke my fingers over his smooth jaw. "I like the scruff better."

The statement was barely out of my mouth before the stubble was back, poking my fingertips. I snickered and kissed his jaw in response, making my parents enter the room with us. To impress my father, Teddy took a step back from me, but I wasn't trying to impress him.

What? You try caring what your father thinks when the most beautiful man in the world is looking at you! He was wearing a pair of dark jeans with boots and a denim button up shirt, rolled up to his elbows and exposing some of his tattoos. His hair was its usual wild mess on top of his head and his smile had me absolutely beaming.

"You'll have her back by eleven," dad instructed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Maman butted in, placing her hand on dad's arm and revised. "Haz her back by midnight, we truzt you wiz our baby girl. Don't ruin zhat."

Teddy swore he would treat me with the utmost respect, and we were off. He held my waist gently and Apparated us out of my house. When we were on the street, he pulled me to him and held my face as he placed his lips on mine.

He kissed the breath from my lungs and pulled away, making me gasp and look him straight in the eye. "Hello to you, too."

"I missed you," he shrugged, taking my hand and leading the way down the sidewalk. "I'm allowed to kiss you now for the first time in nineteen years and I'm taking full advantage."

"Well, in that case," I grinned, using our twined fingers to pull him behind a building away from prying eyes.

I held his neck and pulled him into another kiss, making him grip my hips to steady himself. I must've taken him by surprise -good. He matched my moves and countered them with some of his own, making me jelly against the wall I was suddenly pressed against.

"We have plans, stop distracting me," he said, pulling back from me with his forehead against mine as he regained his breath. "God, I put thought into this and would like for you to see it."

I jutted out my bottom lip in a pout and he rubbed just under it with his thumb. When I saw I wasn't getting my way, I let him start leading me down the sidewalk again. I cuddled up to his side, holding the bend of his arm with my free hand as we walked.

"Do I get to know where we're going or is it a surprise?" I asked as we entered the town square. "Do I even get to know where we are right now?"

"We're in London," he answered, spinning me around in front of him. "And you are even more beautiful here than at home. What is your secret?"

I mocked him, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling. It felt like a muggle film; things were so perfect and I was so happy. This was brilliant.

* * *

 **As I've said before, the family dynamic is very important to me. I hope you've grown as attached to them as me.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I thought I'd put some translations up here so you don't have to go google what they mean.**

 **Ma colombe -my dove Je t'aime -I love you Merci -thank you**

* * *

Teddy led me into a muggle restaurant, speaking with the waitress for a few minutes before following her. It wasn't like any place I'd ever been before; all the chairs were mismatched and some of the tables had no chairs at all. Instead, there were big poofs sitting around the tables. Random poufy chairs that fit multiple people in them at one time were scattered around the building.

"Teddy, what is this place?" I asked after we sat at a table with an empire-backed chair across from a chair with wheels. "I've never been anywhere like this before."

"When Gran died, I did a lot of wandering at night when I couldn't sleep. This place stays open all night, I think a lot of the people here are running away or hiding something," he answered, looking around the room. "I thought it was so amazing, I wanted to share it with you."

This was a part of him and he wanted to share it with me. I knew Teddy and how much he liked to keep things to himself, so they couldn't be ruined by other people. Sharing this with me told me more than his words ever could. He really was different this time, he was trying his best to make us work.

"I really like you," I told him, cutting off some story about the history of the material on a wall across from us… something called shiplack or shiplaspe or something.

I watched his features soften from my admittance, a lopsided grin finding its home on his face. "I hope you know I fancy you something fierce."

"Teddy! It's wonderful to see you again," a woman said, coming over to us. Then she looked at me and I saw recognition pass her face and she asked, "Is this the girl you talked about?"

He rubbed his lower lip awkwardly, his grin chock full of chagrin as he looked at me. "Yeah, Gertie, this is Victoire."

She extended her hand and I took it, shaking it nervously. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"Her smile is something else, you weren't kidding," she observed, making me flush and look down at the table. "Glad you worked it out, kid."

He told her about my smile? Out of everything on my body, no boy ever complimented my smile before. My body, my hair, my eyes, things that signified my Veela were always more important to them. I should've known it would be different with Teddy, everything was.

Gertie took our order, Teddy ordering for me because the menu was a total mystery. I knew muggles ate differently than wizards, but what the bleeding hell was bangers and mash?

When I looked at him with a cat who caught the canary smile, he immediately started explaining what just happened. "She didn't know Gran, it was easy to talk to her. It's nice to talk to someone who doesn't know you sometimes, ya know? And you _might_ have come up a few times…"

"Edward Lupin, you talked about me to a complete stranger?" I teased, flicking my straw wrapper at him. "I am flattered!"

"As if you weren't already insufferable enough…" he sighed, but I knew he was trying his best to not laugh with me. "It's not a surprise to you I was obsessed, I have been since your mum and dad brought you to the Burrow for the first time. From the time I could talk, I nearly talked Gran's ear off about you."

My smile was small, but the affection blossoming in my chest was almost overwhelming. His hand was resting on the table and I put mine on top, rubbing my finger over the edge of his wrist softly.

"I never knew someone touching me so softly could make my insides feel like this," he mused quietly, his nerves clear in his face and the way his hair was pulsing as he tried to keep it from changing color in front of this many muggles.

"Okay, so, I've got chicken masala and toad in the hole," Gertie announced, packing two plates over to us.

"The lady got chicken masala," Teddy said, reluctantly looking away from me. After she placed the plates down for us, he told her, "Thank you, Gertie."

She winked at Teddy and smiled at me before disappearing back into the kitchen. I eyed the food on my plate and recognized the rice, that was it. I trusted Teddy, so I took a bite and felt my eyebrows raise in surprise.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed, making Teddy laugh as he cut into his food. "Also, are you eating toads right now?"

He laughed even harder and shook his head, lifting his fork to show me the sausage on it. "No, it's sausage in Yorkshire pudding batter."

"Muggles are a weird lot," I mused, going back to my food.

* * *

After we finished eating and I was properly stuffed, we went back out into the city. It was dark now and the place was sparkly and kind of beautiful. I knew it was probably because it was all new to me because Teddy didn't seem as enamored with it.

"Look at how beautiful this place is," I told him, kissing his cheek. "I love it here!"

"If you think this is beautiful, just wait until you see where we're going," he told me mysteriously, bringing our joined hands to his lips to kiss the top of mine.

I knew where he was taking me the second my eyes landed on the lights ahead. They were of all colors and seemed to be bouncing above the ground, some of them floating up in the sky like stars. We went up to a booth and Teddy paid the man, taking two strips of paper from him and walking into the garden area.

"These are wristbands. Muggles use them to make sure you've paid entrance to an event," he explained as he put one of the strips around my wrist. "It's sort of like when wizards tap you with their wand and make the red halo hover over you when you go into underground parties at Diagon Alley."

"How'd you know I went to those?" I asked, pulling him to a stop when he tried to lead us down a sidewalk. "I went with Addie, Jade, Bat, and Anth, and I know they didn't tell you."

He tugged one of my curls and answered, "You're very noticeable, 'toire."

My friends and I weren't old enough to get into the parties, but I knew how to talk my way into places. All it took was direct eye contact and a flip of my hair to get all five of us into the party with ease. We didn't do anything bad, we just drank and danced with each other until the party ended. It blew my mind I'd never noticed Teddy there before.

Teddy and I walked side by side as we made our way through the light show. It was put on by muggles with those top-lap thingies and compters or whatever they were called. The lights were being put onto different places with little projectors. The pictures ranged from famous muggle paintings to constellations to meteor showers.

"This is so cool! They're doing it all without magic," I whispered to him, clutching his arm and moving closer to him. "I had no idea muggles could do things like this."

"Make a wish," he replied, pointing to the lighted meteor shower.

"Ted, it's not a real shooting star," I reminded him, but his eyes were shut tight and he was moving his lips like he was talking to someone.

I let out a breath and followed his lead, closing my eyes and thinking of a perfect wish.

 _I wish that every day for the rest of my life feels this magical._

* * *

By the time our date came to an end, I felt disappointment creeping in. I didn't want the night to be over, I didn't want to leave Teddy. He held me close and Apparated us to my front porch, releasing his tight hold to let me lean back against the door.

"Tonight was amazing," I told him, playing with the button of his shirt. "Now, kiss me because you're allowed to."

His grin was naughty as he dipped down and pressed his lips to mine. They didn't stay there long, instead they worked their way down my jaw to kiss my neck. I gripped the front of his shirt as I turned to jelly against the oak front door. Then he moved back up and held my face, kissing me thoroughly.

When we broke apart, he was breathing raggedly and looking at me in _that_ way. You know the way, the one that made me feel like my stomach was going to fall out my butt. I wanted to stay on the porch step with him for the rest of my life, but the light flickered and told me my parents were watching now.

"I think that's my call," I told him, kissing his nose and releasing his shirt.

"I'll owl you when I'm home," he assured me, letting go of my face and stepping back so I could go inside.

When I heard the pop of him Disapparating, I let out a squeal and bounced in my spot in the entryway. Maman and dad were sitting on the sofa watching me, but I was in my own world. I'd been on a handful of dates before, but none of them left me feeling this giddy. This was better than the rush of sneaking around with any boy. And I was allowed to feel like this. What a trip!

"Back with five minutes to spare," dad said as I walked toward the stairs. "I appreciate you listening to me, poppet."

"Of course, daddy. Goodnight, I love you both," I replied, hopping up the stairs and spinning through the hallway into my room.

Dominique's laugh greeted me, making me peek into her cracked door. She was lying on her bed with a book and a smile, something I hadn't seen in way too long.

"Why are you all smiles tonight?" I asked, coming in and sitting with her.

"I was with Zelda today and she kissed me," she told me in a quiet voice, her eyes shining bright. "And it was wonderful, Vic! I see why you're always so floaty when you come back from being around Teddy!"

Zelda was a friend she'd made her first year, the two of them were pretty inseparable during the school year. I knew Dom was always happier when the two of them were together, she laughed and smiled more. So, this made sense.

"So, does that mean…?" I asked, trailing off and allowing her to interpret it however she wanted.

"I'm gay, I know for sure now," she answered, her voice only wavering a bit. "I've kissed two boys, and it was nothing like kissing her. Freakin' hippogriffs were stampeding through my stomach with a billion Snitches zooming about with them."

"Dominique! You've got your first crush!" I cooed, hugging her and making her swat at me half-heartedly. "But what about Bat?"

"Yeah, she's really awesome and everything, but Zelda and I are figuring things out together," she explained, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Bat's been with girls before, her experience is a bit intimidating. With Zelda, we're experiencing all our firsts together and I really like that."

"I get that, just keep me in the loop," I asked, pushing her shoulder playfully. "It's fun watching you crushing on someone!"

She was pink when I left and it made me laugh. "Victoire, zhere iz a letter for you!"

Maman met me at the top of the stairs with the letter in her hands. Teddy's script was on the front, and I don't think my name has ever looked better. Or maybe I was just loved up and cheesy right now from my date.

"Merci," I told her, turning to go to my room when she took my hand to stop me. "Is something wrong?"

"You are glowing, ma colombe," she told me, brushing her thumb over my cheek. "Your fazer haz alwayz made me feel zhat way. Never settle for lezz zan zhis."

I hugged her and kissed both her cheeks. "Maman, he's wonderful. He took me to a light show in London. London!"

"He really loves you," she reassured me. "I can zee it in hiz eyez every time he looks at you."

"I care a lot about him, too," I gushed, biting my bottom lip as I remembered the way his lips felt against my skin. "Goodnight, maman, I love you."

"Je t'aime, ma colombe," she replied, kissing my forehead once more before she left to check on Louis and Dom.

When I was alone in my room, I took off my heels and laid back on my bed before opening Teddy's letter.

' _toire,_

 _Tonight may have changed my Patronus memory. You are the best thing I've ever encountered in entire nineteen years, and I couldn't have imagined a better date. If you prefer me with stubble, I solemnly swear to never shave ever again in my life._

 _In other news, Harry's been invited to an Auror's dinner in a few weeks and he's asked me to come along. With a bit of meddling on my part, I've gotten you an invitation as well. I know how much you want to be an Auror after Hogwarts, and you're charming as sin so you'll make tons of connections there._

 _Until I see you again (soon hopefully),_

 _Teddy_

He'd pulled strings so I could rub wands with the people I wanted to work with. Did I ever mention Edward Remus Lupin was absolutely, positively perfect?

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I'll see you next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Some more translations for ya:**

 **We were so worried - _Nous étions si inquiets_ **

**How do you feel? - _Comment vous sentez-vous?_**

 **Do you need something? - _As-tu besoin de quelque chose?_**

* * *

Sunday dinners were important in my family during the summer because so many of us were gone during the school year. This Sunday was no different, the entire family was packed into the Burrow together. It was the first time Teddy and I would be around the entire family as a couple, and I was anxious to see how things went.

I Flooed there with Louis' hand in mine and Dominique following, maman and dad would be by later. Basically, they were going to shag without the risk of kids walking in on them. My parents could scarcely keep their hands off each other most of the time.

"Victoire, Louis!" Gram cried, hurrying over to hug us both. "Where's your sister?"

The Floo roared an answer and I grinned, kissing her cheek and letting Louis run through the house to find the others. I was going to go sit with Aunt Ginny and Aunt Angelina when arms wrapped around my waist from behind, lifting me up and spinning. I shrieked with laughter, immediately recognizing the smell of rain, pine, and something distinctly Teddy.

When he sat me back on my feet, he released me enough I could turn around and hug him. He kissed the top of my head and I kissed the hollow of his throat, making him hum contentedly. We released each other a bit later and Lily flung herself at me, knocking me onto my bum as the other kids piled on top.

"Ah! Teddy, help, I can't breathe!" I cried out playfully, reaching out through the hordes of children. "Vision getting blurry, ears are ringing -the end is near!"

"Kids! Get off your cousin, she has to at least finish Hogwarts before she dies of suffocation!" Uncle Ron shouted, making them all get off me reluctantly.

"Thanks, Uncle Ron! I appreciate how much you want me to live!" I responded, sticking my tongue out at him. "My hero!"

"It's what I'm here for!"

I rolled my eyes and took Teddy's extended hand, letting him pull me to my feet. I was about to thank him when Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny came through the Floo. The second she saw Teddy and I standing together, she started shouting.

"George, where are you? I won the bet!" she shrieked, eyeing mine and Teddy's twined fingers with a twinkle in her eye. "They're together before September!"

"You bet on us?" I cried indignantly.

"Well, I was going to split the winnings with you, Vic… but you just had to get together before the Engine left!" Uncle George accused, coming into the room with us and shelling out the money.

"You're both insufferable!" I sighed, making everyone laugh before things went back to normal.

"Vic! Come play hide and seek with us!" Hugo shouted from the kitchen.

"Inside voices, Hugo!" Gram reprimanded.

"Sorry, Gram!" he cried just as loudly before running into the living room with me. "Come on, let's play!"

He yanked me out of the house to the garden where all the kids were gathered. Freddie, James, and Molly were even with them. There were a lot of kids and a lot of places to hide, I was going to need some help.

"Let me go grab Teddy to help search for the lot of you," I told them. "Go ahead and hide, I'll shout when we're coming to look for you."

I went back up onto the porch and saw Teddy leaning against the counter, talking with Uncle Harry. As much as I wanted to keep spying on my beautiful boyfriend, I knew I was bound to be caught -too many people were in the house. When I banged through the screen door, Teddy's eyes flashed over to me and his conversation stopped all at once.

"That was very subtle," I teased, eyeing both of them. "Ted, come play with me."

I watched his pupils dilate a little at the insinuation, but I remained the picture of innocence. My bottom lip was tucked between my teeth as I looked at him. Harry elbowed him in the ribs and jarred Teddy into motion.

"Always," he told me, licking his lips as he tried to clear his mind of the lusty fog I'd created. "Let's go play, 'toire."

I led the way back out into the garden and called out, "We're coming to find you!"

As much as I hated doing it, Teddy and I parted to go on the hunt for the kids. There were twelve of them to find, not an easy feat. Then I heard Louis' giggle and found him crouched behind a bush.

"Aw! No fair!" he cried, stomping back to sit beside the house and wait for the others to be found.

Hugo and Lucy joined him a few minutes later as Teddy and I continued searching. James and Freddie were more than likely hiding together, Lily was probably in some tiny place we'd never find her, Dominique was a mystery, Albus and Rose were probably hiding somewhere clever, and I was a Slytherin who could find them all… probably.

I snuck past the tree line and saw the water in the pond move, making me creep closer. Roxanne was floating just under it with her hair floating on the surface and pushed up when she realized she'd been caught. Her tight curls were water-logged and hanging limp around her shoulders, and she was pouting as she went to sit with the others who'd been caught.

I heard Molly whining and knew she'd been found -she wasn't a fan of losing. A twig snapping near me drew my attention, and I turned around. I made my way over to the sound of the snap and heard footsteps along with breathing. One of the kids had to be hiding amongst the trees and greenery.

With my eyes peeled, I started sifting wayward branches and wood on the ground to locate them. I saw a flash of red hair and jumped around the corner, finding Rose and Albus hunkered down together. They just laughed and made their way back to the house without much of a fight -neither of them were particularly competitive.

I followed behind them to see who all Teddy found. Dominique had joined the others along with James and Freddie, but Lily Luna was still missing. To absolutely nobody's surprise, that little girl was a professional at this game.

"Want to join forces and find her?" I asked Teddy, bouncing on my feet a little.

"After you, beautiful," he replied, making me roll my eyes. "What? Is that nickname not a keeper?"

"No!" Several of the kids shouted, making me snort and flash Teddy a pointed look.

He held up his hands in surrender before walking beside me to hunt for Lily. I was looking up into trees when I saw a flash of pink. Lily Luna's brown eyes met mine and she started laughing happily.

"Did I win?" she shouted down to us.

"Of course, you always win!" I shouted back to her. "Now come down before you fall!"

She was smiling as she maneuvered herself down through the branches deftly. Then she reached a few toward the bottom and it broke under her weight. I moved without thinking, catching her before she hit the ground. Unfortunately, in my haste to get to her I'd caught my leg on something.

I swore colorfully under my breath and stayed on the ground. Lily left my arms and moved around to see my outer thigh with Teddy just behind her. The brilliant little girl stripped off her sweater and handed it to Teddy as I took stock of my other body parts.

I'd cut my leg on a broken branch or something and it was pouring blood. It stung like crazy and I knew I was in a lot of trouble if we didn't get back to the Burrow fast. Like she'd instructed, Teddy tied Lily's sweater just above the cut to staunch the bleeding and lifted me into his arms.

"I'll go tell the others!" Lily Luna told us, racing through the underbrush.

"Be careful!" I shouted after her, wincing as the skin on my leg was pulled when Teddy started walking. "Shit, what did I even cut myself on?"

Teddy looked down at me and replied breathlessly, "I have no idea, but there's loads of blood."

He made a rash decision and shouted to Lily, "Tell them to meet me at Mungo's!"

Before I could ask what was happening, he Disapparated from the woods to the hospital. The world was still spinning when we landed and black spots were dotting my vision. My limbs felt heavy and everything happening around me sounded like it was miles away. I scarcely felt myself being lifted from Teddy's arms before everything faded to black.

* * *

Murmuring voices greeted me when everything slowly started coming back to me. My limbs still felt heavy and my head was pounding, but my leg wasn't hurting anymore. Maman and Dom were sitting by my bed with Teddy pacing at the foot of it, but dad was nowhere to be seen.

"Victoire!" maman cried when she saw I was awake. "Nous étions si inquiets! Comment vous sentez-vous? As-tu besoin de quelque chose?"

"Water would be nice," I said, my voice shaky.

Teddy rushed over and handed me a cup from the table by my bed. I sipped from the straw carefully until the dryness in my mouth was gone. After he set the cup down, he pulled a chair over to sit beside me and brushed his fingers through my hair.

"What happened?" I asked, looking at maman and Dom as Teddy's presence soothed me.

"When you got cut, it hit an artery in your leg," Dom explained, her hand clutched tightly in both of maman's. "If Teddy didn't act so quickly, you could've bled to death."

I turned to look at him and saw his shirt was a rusty red color, my blood caked on it. "What about Lily? Is she okay?"

"Silly 'toire, everyone's fine," Teddy murmured, kissing my hand. "Let's just worry about you, okay?"

"The healer said he'd be 'round in a second," dad said, coming into the room with us. "Victoire, love, are you feeling alright?"

"A little fuzzy but okay," I replied, making moves to sit up and made Teddy hiss. "What?"

"Your skin is mending! Don't move or you'll rip the cut back open!" he reprimanded, eyeing me seriously.

I mocked him and sat up anyway, purposely defying him. He gave in and lifted me up himself, ignoring my displeased noises. I could take care of myself, dammit! I wasn't weak… usually.

"Miss Weasley, you're awake! That's good," Healer Donovan said, coming into the room with us. "Excuse me, Mr. Lupin, I need to check Victoire's wound. I've also brought this blood replenished potion, please drink it."

I stuck my tongue out in disgust and maman glared at me, making me uncork the bottle immediately. She was quite scary when she wanted to be. The liquid was thick and tasted like a mouthful of Galleons, but I swallowed it regardless and followed it with the water from earlier.

Healer Donovan pulled down the duvet and lifted my gown to look at the place on my thigh. It was about 10 centimeters long and about 2 wide. The skin was mended together and a pale pink color, it was going to leave a jagged scar.

"You're healing beautifully," he praised, covering me back up. "You're ready to go as soon as my Healer in training tests your blood levels."

"I'll go tell the family she's okay," Teddy said, standing up and kissing my head before leaving us alone in the room.

Dad came over to me and hugged me tight, kissing the crown of my hair. "I'm so glad you're okay. You were so pale when we saw you, Vic. What happened, poppet?"

"Did Lily not tell you?" I asked, moving around as I regained feeling in my body.

"Yez, but she waz zo hard to understand," maman answered. "She waz talking zo quickly."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Wait, wasn't my hair in braids?"

"I took them down because they were messy," Dominique answered. "Plus, it kind of looked like they hurt."

"We were playing hide and seek, and Lily was the last one left to find," I explained to them after giving her knee a squeeze. "She was high up in a tree and fell when the last branch gave under her. I dove to catch her, and I must've cut my leg on a broken branch or something."

Maman tutted under her breath about me being careless, and dad just shook his head good-naturedly. "My brave little girl, always has to save the day. How you weren't a Gryffindor, I'll never know."

"I'm far too clever and manipulative to ever be a lion," I answered playfully, smiling at the Healer in training when he came into the room with us. "Hi, is this going to be quick? I'm starving."

His eyes glazed over like I expected and he hurried over to me, running his wand over the bend of my arm. I tossed my hair over my shoulder to expose my neck and he shakily ran his wand tip over the veins there, too.

When he released me, I turned to look at my dad pointedly. "I just made a thirty minute appointment turn into a ten minute one. That's why I'm a Slytherin, daddy."

He just sighed and left me alone with maman and Dom to get dressed. I tucked my shirt into my shorts and twisted my hair into a bun on top of my head. The scar on my thigh made me look badass, an Auror always had a lot of them. This was just the first of many, hopefully.

Lily ran straight at me, wrapping her skinny arms around my waist the second we entered the waiting room and started crying into my stomach. I crouched in front of her and held her hands in mine, looking her in the eyes.

"Lily, baby, what's wrong?" I asked, twisting her hair back into her barrette and out of her face.

"It's my fault you got hurt!" she sobbed, throwing her arms around my neck this time and crying against my shoulder. "I'm so sorry!"

"Silly girl, it wasn't your fault," I promised, standing up with her on my hip. "It was an accident, I'd do it a million times over to make sure you didn't get hurt."

She huffed, but I noticed she stopped crying. Instead, she was just holding onto me like I was going to disappear if she let go.

"Aunt Ginny, do you mind if I spend the night with you guys tonight?" I asked, gesturing to Lily Luna with my eyes.

"Of course, Vic, you're always welcome at our house," she replied, straightening the skirt of Lily's dress.

"Maman, I'm going to stay with Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry tonight, okay?" I asked, Lily still sitting contentedly on my hip.

Maman seemed a bit reluctant, but she also knew why I was staying with them. "Of courze, ma colombe."

* * *

After we were clean and in our pajamas, Lily Luna and I settled into her bed for the night. I read her a bedtime story and sang to her quietly until she was asleep. I'd just gotten comfortable with her in my arms when her door pushed open.

"This was nice of you," Uncle Harry said quietly, sitting at the foot of her bed. "She was horribly upset, thought this was her fault."

"She's got such a big heart," I replied, running my fingers through her hair as I spoke. "She's all the best parts of you and Aunt Ginny."

He sighed and brought the covers up higher over her. "I know; I always thought James and Albus would be the toughest to raise… She's going to be a hell raiser and I know it."

"But she'll only do it when it's necessary," I reassured him, brushing her hair out of her face. "She's got Ginny's fire and smarts, and your ability to fight for everyone and everything."

"God, you look so much like Fleur but act so much like Bill," he whispered, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "Thank you for catching her."

"Any time," I winked, leaning back against the pillows. "You're not the only one who can save people, Mr. Chosen One."

He sneered playfully at me before getting up and leaving me alone with Lily Luna. I laid back down and got comfortable again, Lily burrowing into my side the second I stopped moving. I let her breathing lull me to sleep easily.

* * *

 **Hope you're still enjoying the story! Don't forget to tell me what ya think!**


	14. Chapter 14

Teddy and I were hanging out at his flat together watching a muggle film. My parents sent Dominique with us as a 'chaperone,' but she was over at Zelda's house instead. We'd perfected the plan and Teddy was surprisingly okay with breaking a few rules now and again.

"Why is this different than me keeping it a secret in the beginning?" I asked, turning my head to kiss the corner of his jaw.

"Because we're not a secret now," he replied in a husky voice. "Your mum and dad know we're together, it's not a lie."

I could've argue this was even more of a lie than when we were sneaking around before, but I didn't. Instead, I sucked on the spot just below his ear as he watched the telavision or tellievision or whatever he said it was called. He was trying his best to ignore me, but I was feeling feisty and wanted to play.

"Are you just going to ignore me?" I whispered in his ear, nibbling the edge of his lobe teasingly. "Your very sexy girlfriend is here and bored and wants to play."

"Victoire, be a good girl," he threatened, but his voice gave away how hard he was trying to keep himself at bay. "I'm trying to have a clean conscious for when I work with your dad tomorrow."

I pouted and saw him swallow, his resolved was breaking and I knew it. Instead of dwelling, I put myself on his lap and slid my fingers back into his hair. His hands found my hips and his amber eyes flashed to mine in an instant. He had his bottom lip between his teeth as he looked at my mouth.

I licked my lips and looked at him with hooded eyes, enticing him into kissing me first. My free hand sat on his ribs, my fingers barely rubbing the skin there while the fingers on my other hand ghosted over the column of his neck. He never should've told me how much my gentle little touches turned him on, it was a huge mistake.

"'toire, you're playing a very dangerous game," he told me in a raspy voice, his thumbs rubbing over the sensitive skin of my hipbones bared by my shirt.

"Good thing I'm not afraid," I replied, dipping my head down to press my lips to his.

I was tired of waiting for him to kiss me so I took charge. A low growl vibrated in his chest and made me gasp, pulling back from him. Desire was burning inside me from the sound and his eyes told me he saw it. His hands left my hips and he held my face securely between both of them as his lips claimed mine. The teasing kisses I'd given him earlier paled in comparison to this one. It was all heat that had me whimpering quietly as I tried my best to keep up with him.

When I felt my lungs constricting, I pulled back from him to see his hair changing from bubblegum pink to vibrant red. Unhampered by my movements, he moved his kisses down my throat in search of my sweet spot. Within seconds he'd found it and was working it over with his tongue.

"Teddy," I gasped, pulling his hair and arching my back in response. "Fuck."

My sudden movement caused his teeth to sink into my skin and a very vocal moan left my lips before I could stop it. He lifted his head and looked at me, and I felt my face heating up.

"God, I'm sorry. That sounded so stupid," I began to babble -only to be cut off by his lips against mine.

"You are the sexiest woman in the universe," he murmured against my lips, pulling me closer until our chest were pressed together. "I'll do anything you want if you make that noise again."

"You'll do anything I want regardless," I teased, tugging his hair and making him groan. "Oh, I definitely like that sound. Make it again, baby."

I was sort of mocking him, but it was also a heady feeling to know I made him feel good enough to make noises like that. When he just smirked at me, I steeled myself and decided to take things into my own hands. I kissed along his jaw line, flicking my tongue out against his earlobe on the way down, and started kissing his neck.

When I sucked over his pulse point, his hips stuttered up against me. I gasped when I felt how hard he was and kept going, it was addicting. Instead of sucking, I ran my tongue over it a couple times and started biting playfully at the spot. His grip on my hip was tight, the tips of his fingers just brushing over my bum.

While I was working the spot on his throat, I moved his hand back to fully cup my ass. He sucked in a deep breath and his other hand rested on top of my bare thigh. When I was satisfied with the mark I left on his skin, I lifted to look him in the eyes. They were all pupil and his cheeks were flushed, his hair pulsating red.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Victoire. Wearing shorts this short and tops that show so much," he told me, kissing the exposed skin of my shoulders and collarbones. "It's hard for me to be a good boy."

"I want you to be a wild boy," I challenged, lifting on my knees so I was looking down and using my fingers tangled in his hair to pull his head back. "I want you to be _my_ wild boy."

He let out the groan again and buried his face in my neck, sucking spots of his own along my collarbones. Without stopping, he flipped me onto my back on the sofa and followed me down with his body resting over mine. I hooked one of my legs over his hip and his hand returned to my bum, gripping it cheekily.

"Teddy," I moaned, tilting my head back and arching my back into him.

"Fuck, Victoire," he echoed, running his tongue along the curve of my neck and making me whimper. "We need to stop of this is going to go too far."

"I don't want to stop," I argued, locking both my legs around his hips so he couldn't leave. "I don't ever want to stop."

"Godric, you can't do this," he tried to resist, but my lips found his throat anyway. "'toire, sweetheart, stop."

I reluctantly let my head drop back to the sofa and pouted up at him. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and pulled away from me, breathing heavily and running a hand through his hair. It was still burning bright red and his jeans were tented, but he'd pulled away anyway.

"Why'd you stop?" I asked, sitting up on my knees and putting my hand on his thigh. "You don't look like you want to."

His hand grabbed mine and lifted it, making rejection course through me. My eyes burned as I pulled away from him, wrapping my arms around my knees to put as much distance between us as I could. I'd never been rejected in my entire life, and it hurt like a bitch Teddy was the first one to do it.

"I should go," I said suddenly, standing up and pulling my shoes back on.

"Victoire, don't leave," Teddy asked, taking my hand to still my jerky movements. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Why is it different with me?" I shouted, forcing myself to look up at him. "I'm sure you've shagged a bunch of people on that sofa! But not me, right?"

He was blurry and I knew it was because I was going to start crying, and I really didn't want to do that. I picked up my wand from the table and headed over to the fireplace after I dropped his hand.

"Victoire, that isn't fair," Teddy told me, coming over to stand in front of me. "They don't have anything to do with me and you."

"They have everything to do with us!" I shouted, my tears forcing their way past my lashes when I blinked. "You pushed me away, but I'm sure any other girl would've been naked!"

"Excuse me for thinking your worth more than a quick shag on a sofa!" he shouted back at me, his temper forming quickly. "You're a virgin, Victoire."

"God, I fucking know that! You never let me forget!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air in frustration. "It's like me being a virgin makes me this delicate, breakable thing you're afraid to touch!"

"You're being ridiculous!" he accused. "I care about you and I want the first time we have sex to be special!"

"Why does it matter so much to you?" I asked, wiping away my tears in exasperation.

"Because I was too drunk to remember my first time!" he exclaimed, his face wild.

That froze my words in my mouth, making me look at him. He was angry, but there was something else behind his expression. I knew whenever he lied, and he definitely wasn't lying this time.

"Ted," I breathed, going over to him and stopping with a few inches between us. "Teddy, baby, I didn't know."

He released a ragged breath and I watched him sag as his anger evaporated. "I was fifteen and went to a party at Gryffindor Tower. It was the first time I'd ever drank and I had no idea what I was doing. I vaguely remember talking to this girl, but the only concrete memory I have is waking up in the Room of Requirement with her beside me in a bed -both of us naked. I don't even remember her name."

I moved us backward to sit down and he laid with his head against my chest. We were lying on the sofa now, but it felt completely different. I was still on my back with him between my legs, but this was intimate in a new way. I was running my fingers through his hair and he was trying to regain control of his breathing.

"Teddy, I'm so sorry. Nobody deserves that," I told him quietly, the silk of his waves sliding through my fingers easily. "Why did I trigger that memory? You've had sex since then."

He pulled back to look at me when he explained, "They didn't mean anything to me compared to you. I think I loved you before I even met you, Victoire."

My heart felt like it melted and started pounding against my ribs at the same time. I never expected the things he said to me, they were always so heartfelt and beautiful. They made me wonder why I ever settled for anything less than how he treated me.

I leaned my forehead against his and held his eyes when I said, "If you'd just told me that, I wouldn't have been so upset. I just thought you were rejecting me."

He held my face, his thumbs rubbing my cheekbones, so I couldn't look away. "I would never reject you, Victoire. I want every part of you for the rest of my life, sweetheart."

My face burned with happiness at his admittance, all the rejection from earlier leaving me quickly. I moved forward and kissed him, it was as light as butterfly wings and made me tingle all the way to my toes. We went back to our position from earlier with him lying in my arms and I practically burned with contentment.

…

Dominique shook me awake some time later and I yawned. Teddy was still asleep on my chest, his forehead resting against my neck. He was so cute when he was sleeping, it reminded me of when we were kids.

"It's getting late, we should head home," she whispered, gesturing to the sleeping man on me. "I'm assuming you didn't do anything, I'd rather not lie to daddy more than I have to."

"No, we didn't," I answered without hesitation. "Let me wake him and we'll head home."

She nodded and left the room, giving us some privacy. I grinned and scratched my nails against Teddy's scalp, making him hum as he woke up. He lifted his head and I watched his hair turn my favorite shade of pink before he kissed my lips.

"I could get used to this," he murmured when he pulled back. "I like you being the last thing I see before I go to sleep and the first thing I see when I wake up."

My cheeks burned and I looked away from his intense gaze, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. He tilted my face up so we were looking at each other again, sliding his fingers back into my hair. We just looked at each other, so many emotions flowing between us I couldn't keep track of them.

"I just remembered you said you loved me," I mused, making it his turn to blush. "Did you mean that?"

"I would never say something to you I didn't mean," he replied without a second thought. "I know I love you, and I think I'm falling in love with you. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I feel the same way," I answered honestly.

"This is cute and gives me all kinds of couple goals to achieve, but we need to leave before dad comes looking for us," Dom said, walking into the room with us. "And I hardly think you want him to see you two in this position."

I sighed and released Teddy so he could sit up and I put my shoes back on. "She's right, we're on thin ice already."

"I'll see you soon," he promised, kissing my forehead and watching as Dom Flooed and then I followed.

"Hello, girls! How was your day?" dad asked, trying to be nonchalant about prying. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Yeah, Teddy and I shagged with Dominique in the room with us," I replied as I grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter. "Isn't that right, Dom?"

"You'd think with them both being of legal age they'd be better at silencing charms," Dom sighed before heading up the stairs to her room.

"You're both brats," dad told me. Then he shouted, "Fleur, they get that back from you!"

"Whatezer you zay, mon amour," maman replied back from the kitchen.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Chapter 15

The night before the Auror's Gala Dinner was a full moon. Somehow, I convinced maman and dad to let Teddy stay with us. We were existing on a trust system… also they knew how much he hated the moons and how he always said I helped him through them.

"I'm trust both of you," dad told us the second Teddy appeared in our living room that evening.

I wanted to make a remark about how he didn't really trust us because they insisted we spend the night at our house instead of his flat, but we didn't always follow their rules so I kept my mouth shut. I also didn't want to put any more stress on Teddy than he was already under, I was trying to be considerate.

We made our way up to my room a little after he arrived and Teddy adventured around. I went through my drawers for pajamas and excused myself to change. When I came back, I found him looking at the same photo album I'd looked at when I was trying to figure out what was happening between us.

"I remember this day," he mused when he heard my door click shut. "Your ice pop melted onto your dress after this picture was taken. Your mum was so upset because it was a from your aunt or something from France. You just laughed and pulled it over your head before putting on one of Ginny's old shirts and chased me through the garden a few minutes later."

I went over to him and draped my arms over his shoulders after I put the photo album back onto the shelf. My fingers were playing with his hair when I asked, "How'd you remember all that?"

He laughed against my hair and told me, "It's my Patronus memory."

I remembered him joking about me being his Patronus memory in a letter, but I never thought he was being serious. "You're not serious, there's no way."

He pulled back from me and I saw him roll his eyes. Then he lifted his wand into the air and cast the charm, making a sleek silver wolf run across my room. It dissolved a few minutes in, but I couldn't stop staring at the spot anyway.

"Those are so hard!" I cried, turning to look at him. "That memory helps you cast a Patronus? I'm your happiest memory?"

He flashed me an incredulous look before he replied, "Are you really surprised? Did you forget why I'm here tonight?"

"Ma colombe, dinner iz ready!"

I kissed him breathless and practically skipped downstairs to eat. Teddy came down a bit later, his cheeks still a little flushed. At least his hair was blue, that would've been a dead giveaway. Dad watched him thoroughly as we ate, but the full moon didn't affect him as much as it did Teddy so he wasn't angry -just paranoid. I didn't lie to my family; Teddy and I wouldn't do anything tonight. He wouldn't be up for it anyway; the moons took a lot out of him.

I watched Teddy's eyes get heavier and heavier as he tried to keep up conversation with Louis about the Cannons. Even with all the blinds drawn, he was tired already.

"Like I said, I trust you both," dad reminded us when dinner was over. "Don't abuse that tonight."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Teddy promised, standing up and taking his dishes over to the sink.

"No, no, no!" maman chided, taking the dishes from him and pointing to the stairs. "You are dead on your feet! Tonight iz not the night for you to be polite!"

Teddy smiled at her thankfully and went up the stairs with me following him. I wet a rag on the way to my room and gestured to my bed, waiting for Teddy to get into it before following. I put the rag on the nightstand and pulled him to me, rubbing his scalp with my nails as a shiver wracked his body.

"Are you cold, love?" I asked quietly.

He just nodded, trying to burrow further into me and my bed. I pulled the covers up around him and wiped his forehead with the warm rag. He groaned and I felt his muscles contracting against me.

"I'm so sorry, love," I murmured, kissing his hairline. "I wish I could take this away."

He pushed his hands under my top, resting them against my bare skin. I used my free hand to follow his lead, running them over the back of his neck and all the skin I could reach without pausing my head scratches. I felt him pressing slight kisses to my neck and smiled.

"You are perfect," he whispered, pulling back a bit to look up at me.

I dismissed him, wiping the rag over his face again before sitting it back on the table. "I think you're pretty perfect, wild boy."

"Oh, yeah, every girl's dream dude is someone who can't stomach full moons," he joked meagerly.

"Hush, you're obviously my dream dude," I teased, rubbing his temples now. "I wouldn't let just anyone have full moon sweats in my bed, I'll have you know!"

"I'm glad I'm the only wolf boy in your life," he replied, kissing under my chin. "I was talking with Harry the other day about maybe taking the werewolf potion, just a weaker version."

"I think that's an interesting thing to try," I said after a couple minutes of silence. "I just don't want you to do things that are dangerous."

"It's not dangerous, it could just make me a little ill," he tried to argue, but he was too weak with the moon streaming through the pulled blinds. "We'll talk more tomorrow, yeah? I'm too tired to have this conversation."

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to Teddy trailing his fingers up and down my spine under my top. When I looked at him, he was already smiling sleepily down at me. It sort of felt like we were in our own little world and it made warmth bubble in my stomach.

"You're so cute first thing in the morning," I grinned, stretching up and kissing the corner of his mouth. "But we have morning breath, and I'm not into kissing with that."

He cast a cleansing charm on himself and then on me, then lobbed it across the room to kiss me. I was laughing when our lips met and he was smiling, my very favorite type of kisses. The moment was so wonderful, it made me have a sudden thought.

"Can you teach me how to cast a Patronus?" I asked eagerly, sitting up on my knees and bouncing. "Yours was so brilliant and effortless!"

He Accioed his wand over and we sat up together, both facing my room. "Think of your best memory, the one that makes you the happiest you've ever been, and let it fill you up."

I thought about making a dirty joke, but I bit my tongue. He was being serious and trying to help me, I didn't need to fluster him.

Thinking of my best memory was hard, I had a lot of them to look through. I tried remembering the same night Teddy used, but it didn't even produce a wisp. I sighed, disappointment tinging my sound, but I wasn't going to quit just yet.

"No one does it the first try, love," he murmured, kissing my bare shoulder. "Keep trying, you're going to do amazing."

I was very stubborn, as I'm sure you've already noticed, and I wasn't going to stop until I could cast a Patronus. My birthday was so much fun before Allegro ruined it, there was something to wonderful about being up in the sky with the people I loved the most in the world. With the memory of the sun hitting my skin and the wind whipping through my hair as I laughed with everyone, I said the spell again.

"'toire, look!" Teddy cried softly, making me open my eyes to see wisps of silvery smoke coming from the tip of my wand. "That's progress, love."

I grinned and moved over to kiss his cheek. "I'd learn a lot more if you were my professor."

His eyes became hooded quick and he replied, "You might have to stay after with me to work on it. I'm nothing if not a stickler for perfection."

I flipped my hair, being as sassy with messy bedhead as I was with perfectly styled hair. "Good thing you've already told me I'm perfect."

"And humble," he told me in a low voice. "Mhm, we should head downstairs before I break the promise I made your dad."

I eyed him salaciously, but he shook his head and got up. I huffed with my bottom lip jutted out while I looked up at him. He just grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet with him, leading the way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning," maman greeted from the island where she sat and watched dad make breakfast. Then she turned to Teddy and asked, "How do you feel zis morning?"

"A little sore, but okay," he answered honestly before going over to help dad cook. "Thanks for letting me stay, 'toire makes it easier."

Dad eyed the two of us suspiciously, and I rolled mine in annoyance. "We didn't do anything. Go ahead and give me Veritaserum; Teddy was the perfect gentleman, just like he always is."

That wasn't necessarily true, he was a gentleman most of the time… until I pushed a little and got what I wanted. My dad just didn't need to know that.

"No, I trust you… most of the time," dad answered, turning off the stove and floating all the food over to the table. "Your sister is at her friends for the day, but do you want to go get your little brother?"

"I'll go grab him," Teddy volunteered before lopping up to stairs gracefully.

I was watching him with a grin, he was so dorky. I had no idea anyone could be so cool and such a nerd at the same time, but he pulled it off beautifully. Dad noticed the way I watched him and grunted in displeasure, but maman didn't stay quiet.

"Victoire, you love him!" she cried, making me jolt and look over at her. "It iz clear az day! You're in love wiz Teddy!"

My face was burning as I started spluttering, trying to tell her she was wrong. Judging by the look on her face, my arguing was futile. Once her mind was set, there was no changing it… and she wasn't completely wrong.

"I'm not in love with him… yet," I whispered, pulling my legs up into the chair with me and resting my head on my knees. "I love him, I've loved him my whole life, but that's different."

Before she could say anything, Teddy came into the kitchen with Louis tossed over his shoulder. The two of them were laughing, Louis had tears rolling down his face. When I met Teddy's eyes, he winked and smiled -making my heart go absolutely haywire.

He and I'd been seeing each other romantically for a little over a month, and we'd been working on rekindling our friendship for three. We spent at least four days a week together if not more, and I was pretty sure he felt the same way I did. He'd told me when we were in his flat together the other day.

"You're excited for tonight, Victoire, no?" maman asked, drinking some of her coffee. "A real gala wiz all zee people you want to work wiz!"

I nodded as I loaded my plate. "Yes! I can't believe I get to talk with them! It'll look so good on my application to the Academy after Hogwarts."

"That's my girl," dad grinned, making me warm all over. "So, Ted, what do you think about the new shipment of artifacts from those European ruins?"

I immediately lost interest and started eating, knowing the two of them could go on for hours about artifacts. Louis was trying his best to participate in the conversation and Teddy made sure he felt included, causing my heart to swell with even more adoration.

"Victoire, it iz time for to start getting ready!" maman announced after she cleared the breakfast dishes. "Zhat means you must leave, Teddy. She must be a surprise!"

Teddy held up his hands in surrender and stood up from the table. "Thank you for letting me stay last night, I really appreciate having your trust. Also, thanks for breakfast, it was wonderful."

I hopped up from the table and offered to walk him out. Dad flashed me a warning look but allowed me to follow Teddy. For maximum privacy, we went to the living room and I shut the kitchen door behind me solidly.

"I can't wait to see you tonight," he said quietly, pulling me into a hug and resting his chin on top of my head. "You're going to be so beautiful, I'm going to be the luckiest bloke in all of England."

I pulled back and pouted up at him. "Only England?"

He tutted and took my face in his hands, tilting it up as I lifted onto my tiptoes. "Someone's vain this morning. You know you're the most beautiful girl in all of the world, sweetheart."

Those Hippogriffs and Snitches Dom was talking about the other day were zooming around my stomach. His amber eyes were almost liquid as he held me gently, rubbing his thumbs over my cheekbones absentmindedly. When his eyes fluttered closed, I did the same and pushed my lips against his.

When we parted his kissed both my cheeks, my chin, my forehead and both my temples. I was giggled when he Disapparated, leaving me in the living room alone. God, that boy was something else.

"Come, Victoire, it iz time to do your hair!" maman shouted from upstairs.

I practically skipped up the stairs to her, more than excited to spend the night schmoozing and dancing with the most handsome man in the world.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I've changed the rating of this story, I don't know if any of you have noticed. The next chapter caused the 'T' rating to be bumped up to a 'M' rating instead. Just thought I'd throw that out here.**

* * *

Maman meant business when she worked on something cosmetology related. She spent HOURS on my hair and makeup, making sure it was perfect. I had to give her credit though, I looked like the dolls Rose played with when I babysat her -Barbies, I think they were called.

My hair was back in an intricate braid that was tucked and pinned to the back of my head. My eyes were glittery and smoky with a red lip, perfectly accenting my cream dress. It was mermaid-style with drop sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. My red heels matched my lipstick and earrings, I don't think I'd ever been this perfectly put together in my entire life. Maman really outdid herself.

"Victoire, you have a letter!" Louis shrieked, running into the bathroom as maman charmed my makeup into place. "Wow, you look pretty! I like your lipstick!"

"Do you want some?" I asked, taking the letter and placing it on the vanity.

When he nodded quickly, I lifted him up to sit beside the letter and took the lipstick when maman handed it to me. I lined his lips with the wand of the lipstick before filling them in deftly. When I was finished, he hopped down and stared at himself in the mirror.

"Daddy! I look beautiful!" Louis cried, running out of the kitchen to find dad. "Daddy, don't I look pretty?"

"Damn beautiful," he shouted back, Louis' answering giggle bouncing against the walls. "The Delacour ability to pull of anything never ceases to amaze me!"

Maman giggled and I saw her cheeks flush -see what I mean about them being in love? He still made her blush like they'd just started dating. The way they talked about each other made my insides warm and mushy, it was the way Teddy and I talked about each other.

"Let'z go get your drezz on," maman announced, leading the way out of the bathroom and to my room with quick steps.

The dress fit me like a glove when maman zipped it up for me. I spun around and laughed when the skirt twirled out around my feet. Dad shouted a bit later that Teddy was downstairs and Hippogriffs filled my stomach, making me shove my heels on and rush down the stairs.

Maman was griping at me for being unladylike, but it was barely background noise. I was too busy watching Teddy's face when he saw me, and taking him in. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie and handkerchief tucked into his suit pocket. I never told him red was my accent color, he must've asked maman or dad when I wasn't around. The sneaky bastard!

"I… you… wow!" he stuttered, reaching out to take my hand and spin me around so he could see the full look. "Victoire, you are… wow."

His lack of adjectives told me more than his words ever could. I was in heels so we were the same height, and I wanted to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, I couldn't kiss him the way I wanted with our audience so I just draped my arms over his shoulders and leaned my forehead against his with my eyes closed.

"You look very handsome, too, wild boy," I whispered so only he'd hear. "My handsome man."

His growl rattled his chest and made my stomach flip as my thighs clenched suddenly. I pulled back from him reluctantly and posed for pictures. Maman cooed and praised us until Teddy politely reminded her Harry and Ginny were waiting for us.

I'd previously made plans with Addie to spend the night after the Gala, but it was a front. I was going to stay with Teddy tonight… he just didn't know it yet. I figured I'd spring it on him once we were at the dinner so he couldn't get worked up. She would cover if maman sent an owl or something, but I knew she wouldn't. More than likely, she knew where I was really going and would cover to me.

Teddy Disapparated us out of my house, my arms around his waist and his around my shoulders. We landed in the Potters' living room to find Ginny already standing there. She had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot impatiently as she looked at the clock.

"For the love of Merlin, Harry, the bloody thing starts in half an hour!" she cried before turning to greet us. "Hello, kids. You both look wonderful!"

"Jeez, Aunt Ginny, you trying to give everyone a heart attack?" I asked, releasing Teddy and walking over to her. "You look so good!"

She was wearing a strapless black dress with a slit in the side that stopped just shy of her hip. Her heels were velvet and gorgeous. The curtain of red hair she had was twisted and pinned on top of her head with curls falling around her face.

"Oh, thank you!" she replied, hugging me tightly. "Did you tell Bill you got a tattoo?"

My eyebrows hit my hairline and I rounded on Teddy. "Why'd you tell her?!"

His eyes were the size of tea plates when he shook his head. Aunt Ginny laughed and said, "He didn't tell me, I just noticed Teddy's new tattoo the other day and he said you went with him. You filled in the blanks."

"And Uncle Harry's the Auror," I told her playfully, bumping her hip with mine.

"I'm sorry, I had to find my cufflinks!" Harry shouted, coming into the living room with us as he put on his Auror robes. "Victoire, you look beautiful. Teddy, you're looking pretty sharp yourself."

"Thanks for the afterthought, Harry," he grinned, placing his hand on my lower back. "Are we ready?"

I didn't ask why Teddy knew the place we were going, I just linked our arms so he could co-Apparate us. When we landed, he briefly kissed my temple and held me close as we made our way to the entryway… swarming with paparazzi.

"That's unexpected," I murmured to him, placing my free hand on his bicep with my other still tucked in the bend.

"You're gorgeous, don't worry," he reassured me, waiting for Harry and Ginny to be finished to lead the way up to the spot they abandoned.

"Bill and Fleur Weasley's daughter? Good on ya, Lupin!" one of the men praised as the cameras flashed before us.

"She's Veela, yeah?" another asked, making me want to shiver uncomfortably at the words that followed, "You lucked out on that, mate!"

I rolled my eyes the second we were away from them because Teddy didn't even seem bothered. Those men were treating me like a piece of meat and he was eating it up. Teddy'd never been someone who preened over hyper-masculine praise… at least I'd never seen him do it.

"That wasn't very cute," I told him, my voice quiet and cold after I dropped his arm. "I'm not someone for you to parade around to get praises from Neanderthals."

I fixed my lips into a bright smile and made my way over to Uncle Harry. He dutifully introduced me to the men highest up in the Law Department of the Ministry. I talked and worked my way through most of them, laughing and sipping champagne daintily.

By the time dinner was being served, I'd made an appointment with the Deputy Head of the Auror's Department. I couldn't speak with the Head because he was my Uncle and that made it a conflict of interest. I was practically bouncing by the time I found my seat beside Teddy. His frown dampened the mood and made me remember the fight we'd had earlier.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you," he told me, making me turn to look at him. "You're not just someone to show off, but I'm damn proud you're mine."

I sighed because he still didn't get it. I'd never felt like a Veela around him, just a normal girl he thought was beautiful. The display around those camera-totting Nifflers made me rethink that. I'd felt like nothing more than a decoration for him, and I didn't like that feeling at all. It's how other boys always made me feel, and it felt a whole lot like emptiness.

"I'm not an object, Teddy," I finally replied quietly, "But I'm not having this conversation right now."

I mingled with the Aurors around me, easily winning them over without the use of my Veela allure. By the time dinner was finished, it was time for the Gala part of the night. The tables vanished and revealed a big ballroom floor, partners spinning out onto it and waltzing easily.

I was watching Ginny and Harry waltz dorkily across the floor, laughing and smiling as they moved gracefully. Teddy came over to me, his hair duller than usual as he stopped in front of me.

"Hey, can we talk? Please?" he asked quietly, gesturing to the hallway outside the ballroom.

I nodded and allowed him to lead the way out of the room, easily sneaking past the group… so much for Auror-level security. We walked until we were far enough away to not be overheard, and I turned to look at him with my arms crossed over my chest.

"You called me yours earlier! I don't see the difference," he started, making me narrow my eyes -the was the WRONG thing to say.

"There's a big difference! That was in the privacy of my house between the two of us," I argued. "What you did was a big, public display that'll be in all the papers by morning! I just look like the Veela you're banging until you're bored!"

"Victoire, you know that's not true," he replied, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I thought I did, but then I saw a side of you I've never seen before!" I told him. "I didn't care for that Teddy, he reminded me of every single boy who's tried to get in my knickers since I was thirteen!"

He flinched at that and didn't immediately spit a comeback at me. I must've really thrown him for him to stay silent after that accusation. I lifted the skirt of my dress and headed over to a bench in the hallway, sitting down in a huff.

"I'm Veela, every boy I've ever met is immediately infatuated with me. It's not real, it's synthetic and caused by the allure," I continued, looking straight ahead at the wall instead of at him a few meters from me. "When you look at me, it feels real."

"Victoire, it is real for me! I don't care if you're Veela, I'd love you the same if you weren't," he promised, coming over to crouch in front of me with his hands on my knees. "I smiled like that because I'm so proud you're my girl. I don't want you because everyone else does, I don't show you off to make other people envious, I do it because I'm in love with you."

I sucked in a gasp at his blatant statement, it was said with so much feeling I knew it had to be true. "I'm sorry for jumping down your throat. I guess I'm just insecure."

His hands moved to cup my face, bringing me down to press our foreheads together. "'toire, you are a goddamn goddess. Every single part of me was made to love you, I've known it since I was five years old. Don't ever feel insecure for a second, every other person in the entire world pales in comparison to you."

My eyes burned as I looked at him, his amber eyes open and expressing every emotion he was feeling. I tilted my head to the side and kissed him, sliding my tongue past his lips as I gripped the back of his neck. He stood up further on his knees to get closer to me, but there was only so close we could get in fancy dress and in our position.

"My parents think I'm staying with Addie tonight," I told him when we broke apart to catch our breath. "I want to go home with you."

He swallowed thickly, seemingly concentrating on keeping his hair and features normal with my admission. "Victoire, you don't have to do this because I told you I'm in love with you. I'll wait forever for you, 'toire."

The cord connecting us was drawing me closer, making me want to see and breathe nothing other than him. I wasn't quite sure I was ready to have sex, but I definitely wanted to go home with him and spend the night. Whatever happened between us, _happened_.

"You don't have to wait, I want to go home with you," I told him standing up and pulling him to his feet with me. "Let's go tell Harry and Ginny goodnight."

He nodded and led the way back into the ballroom. "One dance first, then we'll leave. Yeah?"

I sighed in playful frustration before allowing him to take me out to the floor. He placed one hand on my waist and held my other aloft, leading us around easily. I rested my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes and letting him move me as the music played around us. All the background noise faded and his heartbeat became the only thing I could hear, it was steady and even.

"I'm in love with you, too," I whispered against his ear.

He hummed and kissed my temple, pulling me impossibly closer as we spun together under the soft lights of the Gala.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

**S'il vous plaît -Please**

 **Merde -Fuck**

 **Aimez-vous quand je parle français? -Do you like it when I speak French?**

 **Je te veux follement, profondément et pour toujours -I want you madly, deeply, and forever.**

* * *

Teddy held me close as he Apparated back to his flat. Ryland was sitting in the living room with a girl on the couch… well, he was sitting on the couch and the girl was sitting on his lap. She'd lost her top and bra and it made me snort, allowing Teddy to drag me down the hall to his room with a roll of his eyes. I thought it was funny, but he didn't share my sentiment.

When we were alone in his room, I snickered at his flushed cheeks. "They were just boobs, Teddy, I'm sure you've seen a few pairs in your life."

He fixed me with a look, grabbing me by my hips and pulling me to him. "That doesn't mean I want to see some random girl's boobs."

"I'll stay dressed all night then," I told him coyly, sliding my finger along the neckline of my dress. "I'd hate to further scar you."

He growled playfully and lowered his head to press kisses along the skin my fingers just traced. He flicked his tongue out against the valley between my breasts, making a wanton whisper leave my lips. Teddy pulled back to look at me wolfishly, biting his lip when I pulled out the pin holding my braid in place and my curls tumbled around my shoulders.

"This dress is getting awfully uncomfortable…" I trailed off, turning my back to him and moving my hair out of the way.  
"But I'd hate to further traumatize you with more boobs."

Instead of unzipping my dress, he grabbed a t-shirt for me and held it out. "Before we do anything, we need to talk."

I pouted as he unzipped the dress, his fingers not touching my skin. Even if I wanted to, I didn't turn around because I wasn't wearing a bra. I could do nothing about the thong I was wearing, and the way Teddy sucked in his breath to let out a growl told me he was very appreciative.

His t-shirt was soft as I dropped it over my head, vanishing off my makeup and taking off my jewlery as well. Then I sat on his bed with him cross-legged, his t-shirt falling just right to be sexy and a bit mysterious. Teddy had taken off his jacket and tie, and he'd rolled the sleeves of his shirt up after unbuttoning the top few buttons.

"This would be a lot easier if you weren't the sexiest thing I've ever seen," I whined, jutting my lips out into a pout.

"'toire, you're wearing my shirt and lacy red knickers, sitting in my bed," he emphasized. "I'm having a hard time entertaining the thought that I'm the sexiest thing you've ever seen."

That made me laugh and I saw some of the tension in his shoulders leave. "So, wild boy, what do you want to talk about?"

"I got tested after our first date, I'm clean of everything," he told me, his cheeks turning red. "I haven't been with anyone since before your birthday."

"I'm a virgin so… same," I said awkwardly, picking at my fingers. "I've never been undressed with a boy before, only taken my top off with my bra still on."

I didn't think he wanted to know about the handjobs I'd given boys. It didn't seem necessary to tell him, he just wanted to know what I'd experienced. In hindsight, it was kind of sweet he wanted to know so he didn't push my boundaries. Three handjobs hardly seemed important now.

It looked like he was fighting a growl at the thought. "So, you've never been touched?"

I shook my head and answered, "Not really."

He sucked in a harsh breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth as he tried to regain control of himself. "We are doing this at your pace. When you want to stop, tell me and we stop. If you get uncomfortable or anything feels weird or hurts, I want you to tell me. We have to have an open dialogue for this."

"Do you have this conversation with all the people you share your bed with?" I joked lamely.

He shook his head and told me, "I've had sex with five people and I've never had this conversation with any of them. I've never loved anyone before."

"Can I kiss you now?" I asked impatiently, sitting on my knees. "Oouu, better yet, can I take your shirt off now?"

He chuckled at my eagerness and opened his arms to me. I eagerly placed myself on his lap after I untucked his shirt, working on the buttons with surprisingly steady hands. I wasn't nervous, it felt like second nature to be this close with him.

"We have all night, right?" I asked, tracing the line of his collarbone with my fingertip after I'd pushed his shirt off. When he nodded, I clapped happily and said, "Lay on your back, okay?"

He held my hips as he stood up and flopped back down, making me giggle happily when I bounced with him. He laid back against his pillows and allowed me to spread his arms out, tracing the lines of all his tattoos. I got to the rainstorm on his ribs and looked up at him. His expression was so blissful and happy, it made the Hippogriffs stampede.

"I've always wanted to ask what this tattoo symbolized," I said quietly, tracing the lines of the lightning bolts.

"It's you," he answered simply, crossing his arms and resting them behind his head and he reclined. "You're beautiful and dangerous, just like a lightning storm is beautiful and dangerous. The second you touched me, it felt like I was clean again."

When I quirked a brow, he explained himself. "After Gran died, I lost myself. I drank a lot and had sex with people I don't really remember. Honestly, I only remember shagging two out of the five people I've been with. I was trying to put as much distance between losing her and myself as possible.

"Then the night of the full moon, lying with you in that tiny camp bed in the attic of the Burrow, I felt clean for the first time in a long time," he told me, his eyes wetting when he blinked. "I felt like myself for the first time in almost two years. The longer we're together, the more I feel like me."

I reached up and brushed his tears away with my thumbs, pulling him up to me by his elbow until I could wrap my arms around him. "I love you, Edward Remus Lupin."

"I love you, Victoire Weasley," he replied, kissing a patch of skin exposed by his too-big t-shirt on my lithe frame.

We pulled back from each other and I pulled the shirt off, showing him parts of me no man had ever seen before. His eyes didn't leave my face, but I knew he wanted them to.

"I wouldn't have taken it off if I didn't want you to see me, my silly boy," I teased, tapping the tip of his nose playfully.

"I… you… your skin… it's…" he seemed at a loss for words as he stared at me.

Instead of feeling uncomfortable under his intense stare, I felt bold and sexy. Bold and sexy enough to lift his hand up to cup one of my breasts in his palm. When he held it firmer, a gasp fell from my lips at the roughness of his skin against my tender nipple.

"So pretty," he mused, dipping his head forward to leave a line of kisses from behind my ear to my collarbone. "Can I taste?"

I swallowed and nodded slowly, sucking my bottom lip into my mouth. "Yes."

He smiled at me before dipping his head to place kisses down my cleavage. Then he covered all the skin with wet kisses except where I needed him. With my fingers knotted in his hair, I tugged on it in exasperation before leading his mouth where I wanted it.

"So bossy," he mused teasingly.

He flicked his tongue over one of my nipples and I squeaked. I watched his other hand feel around blindly until he found his wand in the sheets and shouted 'muffilato' to silence the room.

"I want to hear you," he explained, sliding his tongue over my nipple slowly with his eyes holding mine. "How does that feel, pretty girl?"

"It, uh, uhm, good?" I answered, panting slightly. "Keep going and I'll give a more detailed report later."

"Your skin tastes like sugar, I could taste it all day," he praised, taking my nipple in his mouth this time and sucking softly.

"Teddy!" I cried out in surprise, my hips jolting against his. "That, keep doing that!"

"Anything you want," he promised before going back to suckling my puckered skin.

His thumb worked over the stiff peak of my other breast. I was overwhelmed in the best way, he was all I could feel and see and smell. I didn't realize until I felt him timidly press his hips up against mine that I'd been steadily grinding my hips against his.

I drug my nails down his back when he accidently skirted his teeth over my sensitive nipple. "Teddy!"

"Shit, 'toire, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bite you," he exclaimed, pulling back to flash his eyes up to me.

I shook my head so hard my hair flew around my face. "No! It was good, I liked it."

His lips tilted up into a surprised smirk at my admittance. "My girl's naughty? Why am I not surprised?"

I licked my lips before biting my bottom one demurely. "I was a mere blushing virgin when I met you!"

He laughed out loud at that. "There was nothing blushing about you! Especially not that night we grinded together in the living room to that Bent Winged Snitches' song. I'm pretty sure I nearly had a stroke when you pushed your bum back against me."

I laughed out loud at that, tilting my head back and feeling my hair hit his legs behind me. That made me realize he was far more dressed than me and it was unfair.

"Well, wild boy, make me less naughty and take off your trousers," I requested, shimmying from his lap to let him stand. "Actually, come let me take them off for you."

He outright growled at that and came over to me. I tried to ignore him straining against the zipper as I unbuttoned the suit pants and unzipped them, pushing them off his hips. His pants were tented in the middle and I timidly reached out to ghost my fingers over it.

Teddy hissed and made me smirk up at him, leaning back so he could get back on the bed. He pulled me back onto his lap and immediately let out a moan when I sat directly over where he was straining against cotton. My knickers were thin, so it was currently very obvious to him how turned on I was from his earlier actions.

He held my jaw and kissed me, maneuvering my body under his stealthily. If it didn't involve removing myself from the slow, languid kisses we were sharing, I probably would've teased him for how goofy the movement was. His long, muscular body was hovering over mine now and he was kissing my throat, nibbling enough to leave marks on my skin. I wrapped a leg around his and arched my back when his kisses lowered to my chest and he started leaving bigger, more territorial marks on my pale skin.

"I know you don't like when I call you mine-"

I cut him off and held his eyes fiercely when I said, "I want you to call me yours and mark me up. I just don't want to only be yours for bragging rights."

He shook his head, making me realize it was bubblegum pink for me. "Never again, I will never make you feel like anything less than the perfect goddess I was made to love."

When he said things like that, I wanted to give him my heart, body, and soul. "I never knew I could hold moonlight in my hands until you."

His fingers rubbed over the moon on the back of my hip and grinned at me salaciously. "Is this for me, princess?"

I bit his shoulder harshly and said, "Don't call me that!"

He agreed and reconnected our lips, one of his hands sliding down my thigh to shift my other leg up onto his hip. Our centers pressed together tighter that way and I whimpered breathily when he brushed against a nice spot. Boys had fumbled with my boobs over my shirts, but no one had ever touched below that before tonight.

"Victoire, can I touch more?" he asked, his hand resting on my lower stomach. "You can tell me no and we can go back to kissing or we can stop completely. It's whatever you want, love."

I held his amber eyes when I placed my hand on his and slid it underneath my knickers boldly. It was his turn to suck in a breath when his fingers passed through my slick folds. I whimpered as his fingers explored and his mouth worked my nipples simultaneously.

He pressed a finger inside me slowly and I cried out his name, arching my back so suddenly I nearly knocked him off me. Instead of laughing, he just brushed his thumb over my clit and made me shout his name again. He was leaving sloppy, wet kisses against the tender expanse of my throat while his hand wreaked havoc in my knickers.

"I'm going to add another finger, sweetheart, I don't want to surprise you," he warned me in a whisper against my ear. "You're so wet, I hardly think you'll feel it."

But I did and I keened out loud at the feeling. I'd never felt like this before; my fingers didn't feel this way when they were inside me. He stretched me and knew exactly where to touch my clit to make me bolt off the bed. He started scattering bites along my shoulder and neck as my stomach tightened.

"Teddy, s'il vous plaît, I think I'm…" I trailed off when his fingers brushed something inside me. "Merde, Teddy, what was that?"

He laughed roughly against my throat and answered, "Your g-spot, love. I'm about to use it to make you cum so hard you see stars."

His words had me clenching around his fingers as he stayed true to his word. A shout of his name leaving me lips as the band in my belly snapped before I sank my teeth into his shoulder. He eased me through my orgasm before sliding his fingers out of me and cleaning them with his tongue, groaning but not saying anything about it.

"Teddy, that was brilliant," I gasped, pushing him up to sit astride lap.

"You should be jelly against the bed after that," he pouted, making me snicker.

"Trust me, my knees probably don't work right now, but I don't need them," I told him, kissing the side of his jaw. "Now I'm going to make you _cum_ , baby."

"It's been awhile, it'll happen pretty quick if you keep talking like that," he answered shakily. Then I licked over his pulse point and he uttered "fuck" under his breath.

My thighs shook when I maneuvered myself off him enough to get the band of his pants in my hand. "Can I take these off?"

"Only if you're comfortable," he replied, but I knew he wanted them off. "And I can take yours off, too."

I pulled the tight black material off his lanky hips, tossing them to his floor. Then I pulled off my thong and tossed it over my shoulder, making him lock his eyes on the newly exposed skin. It wasn't about me though, I'd already had a mind-numbing orgasm -it was his turn.

I gripped him in my hand and rubbed my thumb over his tip. I pumped my hand and leaned forward, kissing his throat and leaving marks of my own across his collarbone. When I tightened my grip and nibbled on his earlobe, I felt him start pulsing in my hand.

"'toire, I'm gonna cum," he warned, his hand gripping my thigh above my knee tightly as his muscled started tightening underneath me. "Victoire, fuck, yes!"

I grinned in triumph and made to move off him, but he had other ideas. He didn't bask in his post-orgasm glow either, he worked my clit quickly and sucked my nipples instead. I orgasmed fast and loud that time, lying against his chest as I tried to catch my breath.

"No more, I just want to hold you," I told him breathlessly. "And also clean up the mess because I'm sticky."

His laugh was gruff when he found his wand again and cleaned everything up -his sheets included. Then he pulled me to his chest and covered us with his blanket. The feeling of his bare skin against mine was all new to me and it was quickly becoming addicting.

"I don't ever want to sleep without you in my bed again," I told him sleepily, kissing his nose. "I'm spoiled already."

"My silly girl, you've always been spoiled," he teased just as sleepily. Then he added, "If you always speak French when I make you cum, I'll never stop."

"Aimez-vous quand je parle français?" I asked, the need to tease him overtaking how sleepy I was. "Je te veux follement, profondément et pour toujours, Teddy."

He groaned under his breath and asked gruffly, "What was that? 'Damn, Ted, you have a big cock?'"

"Have I ever been a liar?" I asked innocently.

"The only thing saving you from the worst tickling of your life is you're wearing my necklace and you have a tattoo of a moon on the most scrumptious ass I've ever seen," he told me, giving my bum a cheeky slap. "And your perfect body is currently sprawled over mine."

"I told you 'I want you madly, deeply, and forever,'" I explained a bit later when we'd settled back down. "And I do."

He kissed my hairline as I traced the lines of the crossed wands tattooed on his thigh. "Those are my mum and dad's wands. Harry helped me describe them to Devland to make them perfect."

"You didn't mention this one when we talked about tattoos," I chided him, sliding off him to the bed with just my head on his chest now.

He just shrugged and I realized he was almost asleep. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed and the rating change wasn't a problem!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Tu te sens si bien! -You feel so good!**

 **This chapter is also rated 'M' in the beginning, just a heads up!**

* * *

I awoke to Teddy sleeping beside me, his hand resting on my stomach -both of us still deliciously naked. I twisted over to press as much of myself against him as I could, cleaning my mouth with a wandless charm before trailing kisses from his chest to nibble his earlobe, knowing it was one of his weaknesses.

"This is the best morning of my life," he rumbled, his hands taking my hips and lifting me on top of him. "How do you feel this morning, love?"

Instead of answering him, I waited until I cleaned his mouth with the same charm as earlier and kissed him. One of his hands gripped my bum possessively while the other held the side of my face. I was sitting in the perfect place to reach his mouth while letting my hands wander the planes of his body.

When we parted, he was grinning dopily and looking at me through hooded eyes. I don't know what would have happened between us if my stomach didn't rumble obnoxiously. He laughed and sat up, sliding me down to his lap and making us both moan when he slid between my thighs.

My hunger suddenly forgotten, I reached down to lay his dick straight against his stomach before placing myself at the base curiously. I didn't know if this would work, but I was going to take a leap of faith. I was so wet, I slid over him easily, moaning in surprise when his length pressed perfectly against my clit. His answering groan was throaty as he arched his back in pleasure at the feeling of us pressed together so intimately. I'm guessing that meant if was working just fine.

"Victoire, this is amazing," he praised as I continued to move my hips. "This was a brilliant idea."

He reached up to clutch my hip, his hand down low enough that he was also gripping my bum. I tossed my hair over my shoulders and placed my hands on his chest to move faster over his length. He wasn't inside me, but this felt as intimate as if he was. This felt like a good happy medium until I was ready for the full monty.

I opened my mouth speak, but a breathy moan came out instead. Teddy's fingers found my nipple a beat later, tugging and pinching until it was stiff then rubbing his thumb over it. The direct stimulation to my clit along with the constant press of his callused thumb to my sensitive nipple had spasms going through my body, and I knew my orgasm was close. I reached down and lifted the length of him a bit so I could move my hips faster, pressing him harder against me for more friction.

"Can you cum with me? I want to cum together," I babbled desperately, meeting his amber eyes with my lip between my teeth. "Tu te sens si bien!"

"'toire," he groaned in response to my rapid French, his hand on my ass gripping me tight enough to leave bruises.

He moved his hand from my chest to cup my face romantically, but a dirty thought crossed my mind. I sucked his thumb into my mouth and flicked my tongue over it seductively. It was a filthy action, but it did exactly what I wanted it to do. Teddy's orgasm ripped through him and made him cry out my name, going rigid under me as it raced through him. Mine came a second later, making me shout his name come from my lips.

I collapsed onto his chest, ignoring the stickiness between us, as I tried in vain to catch my breath. It wasn't technically sex, but it felt a lot like it to me. His hand directed my face up to connect our lips, harsh breathing forgotten as our tongues pressed against each other.

"I have no words for what just happened," he said a few minutes later. "But we need to go shower."

Instead of waiting for me to answer, he held me close as he clumsily maneuvered us from the bed. "I've never seen you be clumsy before."

"You try to be graceful when the most beautiful girl in the world rides your cock and then asks you to cum in the sweetest voice you've ever heard," he teased, standing up and heading the bathroom across the hall. "I'm surprised I can walk."

I locked my ankles under his butt and wrapped my arms around his neck, letting him pack me easily. I whined when he sat me on the edge of the sink away from him, jutting my lip out in a displeased pout. He just grinned and turned on the water in the shower, offering me his hand when he was satisfied with the temperature.

"Come on, pretty girl, let's get you clean," he instructed in a quiet voice.

I took it and hopped off the counter, wincing at the gross mess on our stomachs. Instead of saying anything, I just stepped into the shower and pulled him in behind me. After we washed our bodies, he started working shampoo into my hair and I hummed in pleasure with my eyes closed.

"I've always loved your hair so much," he murmured behind me. "I never thought I'd be able to wash it like this."

I practically purred when he turned me around and washed the soap from my hair with deep massages. Then I opened my eyes and did the same to him, scratching at his scalp as I rubbed the shampoo into it. He didn't close his eyes, he kissed all the skin he could reach instead. My bicep, my shoulder, my forearm, my forehead -everything got a gentle kiss with a smile behind it.

When we finished, he took his time drying me off with a soft towel, kissing the skin after he swiped the towel over it. Even though he tried to dry himself off with his wand impatiently once I was dry, I knocked it out of the way and did the same to him. I wanted to treat him exactly the way he treated me. Teddy Lupin was something to be adored.

It was after twelve by the time we were finished and he'd dressed me in his clothes. Well, I was wearing his t-shirt with a pair of shorts I brought with me. The last thing I needed was to come home dressed exactly like him, that would raise some eyebrows. It was pushing it to smell like him, but I couldn't quite say no to spending time in the shower learning more about each other's bodies.

He was making me breakfast when Ryland came into the kitchen with us. I'd heard the Floo roar and figured he'd said goodbye to the girl from last night. I waggled my eyebrows at him suggestively and he bowed graciously, making me laugh.

"As much as I appreciate the roaring applause, I think it's Teddy who truly deserves it," Ryland said after he'd gotten some tea and sat beside me at the table. When he saw my quirked eyebrow, he explained, "Your charms were good last night, but you forgot to put them up this morning. You screaming Lupin's name was my alarm clock… not that I'm complaining, I got head as a wakeup call, too."

Even if I was a bit embarrassed, I couldn't undo it now. Instead of freaking out, I just laughed and got up from the table to go over to Teddy. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed across his shoulders. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so I got a clear view of the marks I'd left on him and winced.

"Godric, I didn't mean to scratch you so much!" I whispered in his ear, kissing the shell of it. "I can heal them if you'd like."

"Don't you dare," he told me, eyeing me smugly over his shoulder. "I'll wear them with pride… except for around the family."

I snickered and took the plate of food from him to sit it on the table. Malik whistled when he walked into the kitchen and got an eyeful of Teddy's chest, where I'd also apparently scratched him. God, I wasn't in control of myself at all when we were together.

"Eat it up, twats," Teddy replied, winking at me.

Breakfast, brunch, whatever it was, was really fun. We joked around and laughed together until Ryland and Malik had to leave for work. That left me and Teddy alone to cuddle together on the couch.

* * *

I gathered up my things and Flooed away from Teddy's flat after a couple snogs. Maman and dad were nowhere to be seen when I stepped into the living room. I shrugged and headed upstairs to my room, putting my dirty things in the laundry room along the way.

While I was going down the hall, I heard a noise come from Dom's cracked door. Fearing the worst, I stealthily made my way over with my wand drawn. I peeked inside and barely smothered a gasp at what I saw. Dominique was lying on her back with a girl draped over her, the two of them moaning and sighing as they kissed each other. She was having her first snogging session with a girl!

I snuck back downstairs and wrote a note to maman and dad, sticking it on the fridge before getting back into the Floo. I was going to give Dominique some privacy.

 _Gone back to Addie's for another night! She's having a crisis. I'll see you guys tomorrow!_

I appeared in Addie's living room, shocking her parents who were watching the tellivision or tellavision machine Teddy told me about. I apologized a few times before they directed me upstairs to Adelaide's room. She was laying on her bed with music playing as she bounced her legs in the air. When I shut her door, she turned to look at me in surprise.

"I've had the most wonderful experience of my life," I sighed, flopping backward onto her bed dramatically. "If I'd known orgasms could be that brilliant, I would've partaken in them a long time ago!"

She squealed and jumped onto her knees, taking my shoulders and shaking me. "Did you lose your virginity?"

"No, his dick was never inside me… but we got as close as possible without having sex," I replied, my face heating up without my permission.

"You're this giddy and you didn't even shag him? His dick must be magical!" Addie exclaimed, her eyes big. "How big was it? How many orgasms did you have?"

I flushed at her questions, my insides doing a somersault. "Uhm, in total I had three… but I don't think I should tell you that. It's private between us."

"Awe, that's sweet!" she cooed, making me roll my eyes and lay back down. "He's must be packing, though… he's hot."

I narrowed my eyes at her in warning, and she started cackling. I guess me being protective of Teddy was funny to her. I suppose I would think it was funny if the shoe was on the other foot.

"So, your parents seem to be getting along better," I told her after we'd moved to lay against her pillows together.

She sighed and her face fell. "No, it's not better at all. They just got back from separate weekend trips with other people, they just don't think I know."

Addie's parents have been fighting on and off for the last year. She told us during the last weeks of school she was afraid they'd get a divorce. I'm guessing that was still an option, especially since they spent the weekend with different people.

"I'm sorry, Addie. I know it has to suck," I consoled, pulling her into a hug. "I'm always here if you ever need to talk or just escape for a while."

"I kind of thought things were getting better because they've been almost civil to each other the last couple weeks," she said, her voice uneven like she was trying not to cry. "Then I realized it was because they're both shagging other people."

I didn't know what to say so I just kept holding her, rubbing her back while she cried. By the time she was finished venting and crying, I saw that she was pretty exhausted. I was too after the day and night I had before, so I started dozing with the even sounds of her breathing in the background.

* * *

The next morning, I made Addie swear she'd either owl me or Floo straight to my place if she was upset again. When she pinky swore, a muggle tradition she and Anth taught me when we first became friends, I Flooed back home to stay this time. Maman and dad were in the kitchen cooking breakfast together with Louis singing a song off tune and Dom rolling her eyes.

"Is my oldest daughter finally home?" dad asked, coming over to hug me and kiss the top of my head. "We thought you'd moved in with Adelaide!"

"How waz zee Gala, ma colombe?" maman asked, flipping eggs in the pan in front of her. "Waz it everzing you imagined?"

My cheeks flushed without my permission and I dropped my head, hoping my hair covered it. "The Gala was so amazing! I have an appointment with the Deputy Head of Wizarding Law to speak about what I need to do in order to get into the Academy after Hogwarts."

"Vic, that's amazing!" my dad shouted, running over to me and lifting me out of my chair in a fierce hug. "I knew you could do it, sweetheart!"

"Congratulations, ma colombe!" maman cried, hugging me after dad put me down. "I alzo knew you could do it. You can accomplish anyzing you put your mind to!"

It was nice to feel like my parents were proud of me. By the time they went back to bringing the food to the table, Dominique had fixed me with a look. She knew where I was the night before last and she was rubbing it in. Fortunately for me, I also knew where she was doing yesterday when she thought she was alone.

"I'd wipe that smug look off your face if I were you," I whispered to her, smirking when she paled a little. "It looked like you were otherwise engaged… as was your tongue."

She shut up immediately and focused on pouring syrup onto her hotcakes. I smirked and made a plate of my own. Smug didn't suit Dominique, it was my thing.

* * *

 **Have a happy holiday with those you love!**


	19. Chapter 19

**This chapter got real, and I hope it came off as genuine.**

* * *

I'd worried myself almost sick by the time of my meeting with Deputy Head Mauver. I dressed in my most professional clothes with heels, taking a few deep breaths before I Flooed to the Ministry. I was about fifteen minutes early out of both nervousness and preparedness. Well, it was mostly nerves and because I didn't want to pace around the house for ten minutes.

"'toire?"

I turned around to see Teddy coming across the floor to me. I grinned and waved, hugging him and kissing his cheek before stepping back. We had to have a professional relationship while in this world. I was honestly thankful to see him, some of my nervousness vanished at the feeling of his arms around me.

"Why are you at the Ministry?" I asked, barely resisting the urge to run my fingers through his hair -it was wonderfully windblown.

"I had to get a couple orders from Kingsley for your dad," he answered, looking me unabashedly up and down. "You look gorgeous, Miss Weasley. The skirt is a definite keeper."

I smirked at the name and stood up straighter. "Glad to have caught your attention, Mr. Lupin. I have a meeting to attend, but I look forward to dinner tonight."

"Is that your way of asking me out?" he questioned, his eyes twinkling with playfulness.

I shrugged and started on my way to the Law Department. "Must be your lucky day!"

He winked and my stomach promptly fell out of my butt, making me grin at the familiarity of the feeling. I was still grinning like a loon when I walked into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I found Deputy Head Mauver's office and knocked on the door, anxiously waiting for him to answer.

"Miss Weasley, it's nice to see you again," he greeted, smiling as he stepped to the side to allow me entrance. "So, you've got your mind set on being an Auror after Hogwarts, do you?"

"Yes, I've wanted to be an Auror for as long as I can remember," I answered, sitting in the seat across from his desk.

He smiled again and made me a bit uncomfortable, but I pushed that down and smiled back. "You're quite the looker, Victoire, can I call you Victoire?"

The uncomfortable feeling grew in my stomach and I said uncertainly, "I guess so."

"Victoire, your marks are brilliant," he told me, picking up a folder from his desk and looking at the papers inside. "You're on the right track with your classes. You've got NEWT level Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfigurations, and Charms next year. As long as you do well, you should look good for the Academy."

"A lot of people 'look good' for the Academy, sir. I want to stand out and make it impossible to be rejected," I replied, crossing my legs.

I didn't miss how his eyes followed my leg's movements and uncrossed them immediately, crossing my ankles instead and tucking them under my chair. I hooked them around the chair leg to keep them out of view because he was making me a bit nervous. Well, he was only looking at me like all men looked at me, but I figured he'd be more professional…

"I admire your fire, Victoire," he observed with the same creepy smile as before. "I can't promise this yet, but I will see if I can pull some strings and get you an internship in the Department."

The uncomfortable feeling took a backseat to my excitement. "Really? That would be so amazing, sir!"

He grinned salaciously and I actually felt my skin crawl, excitement fading fast. I wanted this job, I would put up with whatever I had to for this job. I just really hoped my internship wasn't under him because I could only keep my mouth shut for so long before my temper took over and something told me hexing the Deputy Head of Magical Law Enforcement wouldn't look good on Auror Academy applications.

* * *

After my meeting with Deputy Head Mauver finished, I met up with Teddy for lunch. His grin was blinding when he saw me, but I was still a bit off so my smile wasn't as genuine as his. I should've known he would pick up on it the second I flashed it, he knew me too well.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, pulling my chair out for me before sitting down. "Did your meeting not go well?"

"No, it went really well. Deputy Head Mauver said he'd do what he could to get me an internship this summer," I told him. Then, because I knew he wouldn't let it be, I added, "He was creepy and looked at every other part of my body before he looked at my face. You know, just normal stuff in the life of a Veela."

Unfortunately, men reacted to me the way Mauver did a lot. After I first came into my Veela, I saw some of my professors' eyes linger when I walked through the aisle between desks. I saw men watching me when I was out in Hogsmeade, I got free Butterbeer and sweets every trip. I also wasn't blind to all the men at the Auror's Gala staring at my bum when I walked in and all throughout the night, Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron being the only exception.

"Why are you so flippant about that, Victoire?" he asked in a terse voice. "He's a man with power, he cannot treat you like you're only there for his viewing pleasure. It's 2017!"

Of course, he thought things were equal for women. Maybe they were, but they weren't for Veela women. He was speaking from a position of privilege as a male. He'd never been sexualized and accepted it to get something, or accepted it out of fear of what would happen if you spoke against it.

"Because it just happens," I shrugged, smiling at a couple familiar faces across the restaurant. "Women are treated like second-class citizens, even in 2017. I'm a Veela and he's a man with all the connections I need. I want this job, Teddy, I'm going to be an Auror. I have to toughen up and do what has to be done."

"Victoire, do you hear yourself?" he asked incredulously, trying his best to keep his voice down. "You're better than letting someone degrade you to get a job! You have to tell Harry or Ron."

"No!" I said suddenly, cutting my eyes to him. "Don't say anything, I don't want to rock the boat. I need this internship, Teddy!"

"Victoire, you can't ask me to do that," he argued, refusing to let things be.

I looked around incredulously, leaning back in my chair. "Yes, I can, or I won't tell you anything again. This isn't your fight to have."

I could see the anger welling behind his eyes as our food was floated over to us. My appetite was gone, I was too nervous and upset to eat anything.

"I'm going to get a take away box," I told Teddy curtly. "I'm not hungry."

He caught my hand before I could walk away and directed me back to my seat. "Victoire, please don't be this way. I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I can take care of myself, maman has been teaching me self-defense and I've been working on my wandless defense," I told him. "I'm not helpless anymore. I can fight my own battles, I don't need you to do them for me."

He didn't need to know those things hadn't necessarily happened yet. But I was definitely going to put them into action soon.

I stood up from the table and took my plate up to the bar, putting it in a take away box before getting in the Floo and going home. I put the leftovers in the fridge and went upstairs to shower and put on comfy clothes. Maman was downstairs a little later and I made my way down to talk with her.

"Maman, can you teach me some self defense moves?" I asked, sitting at the island as she made herself something to drink.

"Did somezing happen, ma colombe?" she asked, hurrying over to me and holding my shoulders as she looked me over for injuries.

"Not really, just a man being too suggestive," I shrugged, knowing she'd understand better than anyone. "I want to be able to defend myself if I were to drop my wand or not be able to reach it."

"I would love to, juzt let me go change," she told me, kissing both my cheeks and running upstairs to change out of her work clothes.

We went into the back garden, both of us barefoot with our hair pulled up. We stretched first, limbering ourselves up for the exercise we were about to do.

"Firzt we are going to practice one if zomeone comez up behind you and grabs you," she instructed, gesturing for dad to wrap his arms around her from behind. "Firzt, you step forward wiz one foot for balance and then bring your elbow back. Try to hit zeir jaw, temple, or cheekbone. When zey let you go, bring your hand up flat and hit under zeir chin until zey leave you be."

I watched her do it a few times before dad wrapped his arm around me. I was slow at first, but after a couple times I was moving quickly and getting out of his grip easily. This was nice, it was good to feel like I could defend myself. I didn't want to depend on someone to save me. I was going to be an Auror, I needed to know moves like this in case I was disarmed.

"Zis iz if zomeone triez to choke you," maman announced, dad wrapped his hands around her throat loosely. "Zis time you step back to keep your balance and bring up your arm to trap zeir fingers wiz your bicep. Zen you move your body around and bring down your arm to stop zee choking. When zeir hands are off your neck, bring your fizt up to the zide of zeir face and disorient zem."

We kept practicing those moves until it started getting dark and my muscles were aching. I ate my lunch from earlier while dad made dinner. Dom looked sick as she sat across from me at the island. Louis was helping dad by tossing carrots into the pot of stew he was brewing.

"Guys, can I tell you something important?" she asked suddenly, making everyone look over at her in surprise -she never sounded this nervous.

"What iz it, ma douce?" maman asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading.

Was this her moment? Was she finally going to tell everyone she was gay? I watched her swallow thickly and look at me. I nodded and smiled as reassuringly as possible, hoping it gave her the courage to speak her peace.

"I like girls," she said, her hands gripping the side of the island and scarcely breathing by the look of things.

Dad didn't stop stirring the food and Louis just clapped his hands and said, "Me too! I like girls too, Dommie!"

She was still tense as she looked at maman, and I knew she was most nervous to tell her. Sensing the unease, dad looked over his shoulder and said, "Good, your sister has burnt me out on boys dating my children. Girls have to be better."

"Az long az you're happy, ma douce, I am happy," maman said, hugging Dominique. "Zank you for telling uz!"

I knew Dominique was trying to keep herself from crying, so I hugged her the second maman let her go. "I am so proud of you, Dom. You were so brave and strong. You're kind of my hero, kid."

She laughed wetly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand when we parted. "I was so nervous, I'm so happy you're okay with it."

"Okay wiz it? Why wouldn't we be, ma douce? It iz not like you choze to be the way you are any more zan I choze to like boyz," maman told her, placing her hand on top of Dom's supportively. "You are you regardlez of who you fancy."

Dinner proceeded as usual and I told them about Deputy Head Mauver looking for an internship for me. I left out the way he looked at me out of fear dad would react similarly to Teddy. Dad was over the moon for me, he was so happy I was fighting for my dreams regardless of what people thought about me being Veela and too "delicate" to be in a occupation that rough.

"I noticed you hardly mentioned Teddy at all which is very unlike you," Dominique said, skipping down the hall to catch up with me. "He's all you talk about."

"I think I preferred you moping," I replied, ignoring her question and going into my room with her following close behind. "Oh, hi, I missed the part where I invited you into my room."

"You're cranky, must've been a big fight," she observed, lying across my bed sideways. "Tell Dommie all about it."

I sighed and gave in, telling her what really happened and how Teddy reacted when I told him. I'd left that part out when I told maman about it earlier, knowing better than to tell her because she'd go one some quest to fix things and end up making them worse. I loved my maman, but she had a tendency to meddle in things that didn't involve her.

"He's angry and has the right to be, but that doesn't mean he's allowed to tell you what to do. He also shouldn't make you feel like you can't take care of yourself," she said after I'd finished telling the story. "He also doesn't understand what it's like to be Veela and a woman in the workforce. I think he gets privilege because he's bisexual, but I don't think he understands that he has some privilege because he's a guy… even if he's pretty self-aware."

"Teddy's more of a feminist than I am," I replied quietly.

"Which is why he's fighting so hard for you to be respected. He doesn't want anyone to think they have a right to walk all over you," she reminded me. "He doesn't know it'll just make things worse. Even if reporting him is the right thing to do theoretically, it could end badly for everyone involved and end your career before it even starts."

I hated that Dominique knew that at age fourteen. She needed to be hopeful and have big dreams because I knew she could accomplish them.

"Dom, don't ever think you can't do something because a man says you can't. You come from way too many strong, independent, fierce females to not accomplish every goal you set for yourself," I told her, sitting up and looking at her. "All of our aunts and our mother and our grandmother fought in a War and won. Our mother was a Triwizard Tournament champion for Merlin's sake! Women can do anything!"

Her smile told me she knew I'd say that and I glared at her. She was doing that thing where she outsmarted me and made me realize something without saying a word. I needed to say something about Mauver, his behavior was unacceptable and demeaning. Just because I was strong enough to take care of myself, it didn't mean other women were.

"Victoire, you've got a letter from zee Ministry! It lookz très important!"

I left Dominique on my bed and ran down the stairs to get the letter. It was from Deputy Head Mauver -that was fast.

 _Miss Weasley,_

 _I regret to inform you that there are no internships available for you at this time. It has been brought to the Ministry's attention you do not have the level of maturity one must possess in order to work in any department, much less one of such high intensity as the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Reapply when you have learned gossip is not tolerated, especially about false allegations against your superiors._

 _Regards,_

 _Deputy Head of Magical Law and Security, Archibald C. Mauver_

My entire heart crushed in on itself after I read the letter, tears burning my eyes. I was positive I would get an internship! What did he mean about me being immature and gossiping? I hadn't even had time to talk to my friends about the possible internship yet… then it hit me.

With the letter clutched tight in my hands and my parents watching me curiously, I Flooed to Teddy's flat. He and I needed to have a strongly worded talk. At loud volumes. With possible hexing.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I got a couple reviews for this story last night! Thanks so much!**

* * *

"Edward Remus Lupin! Get your ass out here!" I shouted the second I landed in his fireplace. Then I saw Ryland sitting on the couch with the girl from the other night. "Hi, my name is Victoire and I'm usually more cordial than this."

The girl looked confused but nodded anyway. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Ellery."

"Lupin went to meet with Ron and Harry, said he'd be back in an hour or so. Feel free to join or wait for him in his room," Ryland told me, gesturing to the seat on the other side of him.

"I'd rather snog a Crumple-Horned Snorkack than you," I told him saccharinely. Then I looked at Ellery and replied, "You seem lovely. We'll have to get tea one day, have Rylan give you my address so we can set it up."

She nodded, and I made my way back to Teddy's room with the letter still in my hands. I smoothed out the crinkles and tucked it into my waistband beside my wand. I was pacing for about ten minutes when he Apparated into the room. The second he saw me he jumped and shrieked, but I was too angry to be amused.

"How dare you go over my head and report Mauver to the Aurors?" I shouted, yanking the letter out and handing it to him. "This is exactly why I didn't want to do that. Whatever shot I had at getting an internship is blown to bits now because you couldn't let me handle things myself! I'm not a little girl who needs to be saved by you, I can fight my own battles and take care of myself!"

He looked up from the letter at me with his mouth hanging open. "'toire, I didn't mean for this to happen! Harry and Ron said they'd be discrete…"

I laughed humorlessly at that, knowing I looked menacing because I could feel the heat building inside me. "How dare you? I asked you to not get involved and you lied straight to my face!"

"I never said I wouldn't tell Harry," he countered, his own anger building. "I wasn't just going to stand by and let some creepy old tosser take advantage of you. You don't have the best track record with being able to keep skeevy guys off you!"

That was a low blow that made my eyes burn and he knew it because he tried to come to me the second he realized what he'd said, but I held up my hand to stop him. "Oh, so my taste in men sucks? Well, the last time I checked you were my man so maybe you're right!"

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, his hair a literal flame on his head as his eyes flashed red then black and then back to their normal amber in his rage.

"If you think I'm too young to fight my own battles and deal with things on my own, maybe we should just end this. I'd hate for you to feel responsible for me all the time!" I screamed, my hands burning as fire shot out of them and scorched his floor.

I'd never actually had fire come out of my hands, just sparks when I was extrememly angry. It was a Veela trait, but I never thought I'd be Veela enough to use it. That would come in handy later when it didn't feel like I was going to explode in anger.

"Real mature, burn my floor," he taunted, making me scream in frustration and stomp my foot as more fire hit his carpet this time. "Do you really want to end this because I helped you? Are you that immature?"

"I am so damn tired of being called immature!" I cried, knowing my eyes were glowing with intensity as I stared him down. "I am pretty goddam mature! I don't need someone like you coming in and fighting all my battles for me. I'm going to be an Auror and I'm going to keep people safe! I'm going to keep them from feeling like their bodies aren't theirs to have! I am going to make people feel safe!"

All the fire that had been in Teddy evaporated when he heard that and his shoulders hunched over. "'toire, is that what this is about? You're afraid other Veela girls don't feel safe?"

I wanted to keep fighting with him, but hearing his voice sound like that made my adrenaline disappear and tears burn my eyes. "It's the worst feeling in the world to feel like your body isn't yours, Ted. Mauver wasn't the only man to look at me like that, he's just the only one I've ever told you about. I try so hard to feel like it doesn't bother me, but sometimes it feels like every time a man looks at me like that I lose a piece of something. I don't know if it's my dignity or my sanity. I just know I lost my innocence long before you ever had the chance to wreck it like you were afraid of doing."

I was sobbing by the time I finished speaking and fell to my knees on his floor as the cries dragged themselves out of my chest. Teddy scrambled over to me and pulled me into his lap, leaning back against his bed as he rocked me slowly. He removed the tie from my hair and braided it back quickly to get it out of my face before rubbing my back.

"My sweet girl, I am so sorry," he murmured, kissing my forehead. "I had no idea you felt that way. Even if you hate it, I'd fight every single person in the world who made you feel like this."

I just kept sobbing against his shoulder, allowing him to treat me like I was breakable for once. I knew somewhere subconsciously I was becoming an Auror to fight for people who had no control over what made them weak, I'd just never said it out loud before. Teddy going over my head made me feel weak and like I could be pushed around, and it made me snap.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you," I told him in a rusty voice after my sobs quieted. "I was just so angry. I wanted that internship so badly, I was going to do anything I could to get it. Obviously not Mauver, but you know what I mean."

"You shouldn't have to be broken down into just your parts, 'toire. You're brilliant and funny and resourceful, any department would be lucky to have you. You think quick on your feet and you can make anyone feel comfortable no matter what they're going through. You make the worst night of my life bearable," he praised quietly, kissing my ear. "And I know you've helped Dom come to terms with being gay."

I pulled back from his shoulder to look at him in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"Gaydar has no gender, my love," he smiled, kissing the tip of my nose affectionately. "I promise I won't save you anymore unless I really think you need to be saved. Deal? That's the best I can do so you'd best agree."

I rolled my eyes and nodded, kissing his lips gently and leaning my forehead against his. I figured his bum was starting to hurt from sitting on the hardwood, so I stood up and offered him my hand. Before he took it, my eyes landed on the most embarrassing thing I'd ever seen.

I'd started my period a day ago and been on it enough years to know my second day was always my worst. I was so angry when I left, I didn't change my tampon after wearing it for a while. When he'd pulled me onto his lap, I'd bled onto Teddy's leg. It was a spot half the size of a Quaffle on his upper thigh.

"Oh, my god! I am so sorry!" I squeaked, mortification turning my face scarlet. "Here, let me clean you up!"

I pulled my wand from my waistband with shaky hands and tried to remember a cleansing spell in my hectic brain, but I was coming up blank. Teddy stood up slowly and took my wand from my hands, tossing it onto his bed and titling my face up to look at him.

He was completely calm when he said, "Victoire, it's okay."

"No, it's not! I bled on you!" I said in a tight voice, my face still flaming as I tried my best to avoid making eye contact with him.

"So?" he asked. "It's not the end of the world. I sweat on you once a month."

"This is so different!" The tight voice was apparently here to stay. "You probably think it's so gross and after everything that happened tonight, it's just the butter on the crumpet!"

He snickered at my analogy but didn't point it out. "It's not gross, Victoire. You're on your period, it's a normal thing. I can throw these and your clothes in the wash while you and I shower together. It's not a problem, I want to hold you close anyway."

I wanted to keep arguing, but I couldn't when he looked that lovingly at me. I allowed him to lead me into the bathroom before setting the water and stripping me slowly, kissing my skin sweetly. I was washing my hair by the time he got back and slipped inside with me. He pulled me back to his chest and kissed my exposed shoulders switching our positions and washing his hair now.

I was a bit nervous to bleed in the shower, but Teddy didn't seem bothered at all when it went down the drain by his feet. I let out a shaky laugh and leaned my head against his chest, his hands coming down to rub my back in soothing circles.

"Why would you think it'd bother me? It's a natural thing, 'toire," he murmured as the warm water hit him and trailed down onto me in his arms. "Gran and Ginny would've had my hide if they thought I'd be rude because of it. Hell, Ginny's sent me out for tampons when Harry wasn't home before."

That made me laugh and wrap my arms around his waist. "I love you and I'm sorry for being a brat earlier. I know you were just doing what you thought was best for me. Maybe I'm just hormonal."

"No, it wasn't right for me to disregard what you wanted. It was archaic and misogynistic of me," he argued, pulling back to look me in the eye. "Of course I don't know what it's like to be a woman in a patriarchal system, but I know you're a badass who deserves the world. It hurts me when other people doubt you and I want to kick their ass."

"My feminist cave man," I murmured, leaning back in to kiss his collarbone.

He grunted theatrically and made me laugh, the remnant of my bad mood leaving. "Me love Victoire."

We got out of the shower a little later and I pushed him out. "Just because you're comfortable with me being on my period doesn't mean I'm comfortable with you watching me put in a tampon. That's a line I never want to cross."

I didn't ask why he had the tampons I used under the sink in his bathroom. I knew his answer would be devastatingly sweet and I couldn't handle any more of his sweetness tonight. I just put on the clothes he laid out for me -grinning when I saw my knickers from earlier now clean and sitting with his t-shirt- took care of things, and went back into his room with him.

"I'm going to write to my parents and tell them I'm spending the night with you. I'm too tired to lie," I told him, grabbing parchment and a quill from his desk.

"Let the chips fall where they may, my love," he agreed, offering me a spot in his bed after I sent the owl to my parents. "This might be the last time we ever see each other."

I laughed at his dramatics and cuddled into his side, kissing his neck after I got comfortable. "So, when did you buy me tampons?"

His neck heated up under my forehead and made me giggle. "Uh, as soon as we started dating…? Or maybe a little before? I just wanted you to feel comfortable here because I love you."

I kissed up his neck, across his jaw, and pressed a sweet cute kiss to his lips. "Why can't I stay mad at you? You are too damn cute and it's very annoying."

He laughed and some of his embarrassment ebbed away as he relaxed back against his bed again. "I love you, goodnight."

"Goodnight, wild boy."


	21. Chapter 21

**HAPPY 2018! May this year be better than the last for each of you.**

 **Also, this chapter is 'M.'**

* * *

I refused to take no for an answer about my internship and went back to the Ministry a week later. Deputy Head Mauver refused to see me, so I just went over his head to Uncle Harry. He pulled some strings and got me an appointment with the Minster himself to plead my case. Sometimes having connections was awesome, especially when I was treated unfairly.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was sitting in his office when I knocked, smiling broadly when he saw me. He and dad were in the Order together, he'd been at their wedding and came to see me when I was first born. We weren't related though, so this wasn't technically a conflict of interest.

"Victoire, what can I do for you today?" he asked, gesturing to the empty chair across from his desk. "Please, take a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you, sir," I said politely, smiling at him. "I'm here to talk about this letter Deputy Head Mauver sent me a couple days ago."

Kingsley read over the letter, his eyebrows knitting together. "This letter is out of line, not the least bit professional."

"I haven't been speaking badly about the Ministry, I was just talking to Teddy Lupin and he got upset. He ended up telling Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry," I explained, crossing my legs. "I'm Veela, and I'm assuming Deputy Head Mauver hasn't had much exposure to us if the way he reacted is any indication."

I hoped he got what I was implying, and the look on his face told me he did. "Victoire, are you saying he was inappropriate with you?"

"That isn't why I'm here, sir. I'm here to speak about an internship within the Magical Law Department," I replied. "He's hardly responsible for how he treats me, it's the allure."

"You stop right there, Victoire, being dehumanized is not your fault. Mauver is a man of high position and held in high regard amongst his colleagues," Kingsley told me in a stern voice that left no room for discussion. "You're not the first person to report him to me for sexual misconduct and this letter is void. I will personally find you an internship in the Auror department, you deserve one."

"I'm didn't come here to get him in trouble, Minister. He just wouldn't meet with me and I can't meet with the Head because it's my uncle. If I get this internship, I want it because I earned it," I said, seriousness coloring my voice.

He stood up and I followed, taking his extended hand in mine to shake. "Victoire, I'll fix this. Don't worry."

I nodded before leaving his office. I felt a bunch of eyes land on me and felt uncomfortable until Aunt Hermione called to me. She was standing with a group of other women, they must've been the ones who'd been staring at me when I left the Minster's office.

"Victoire, Ronald told me about the incident with Mauver," she informed me, making me groan in annoyance. "Hold on, I wanted to extend an invitation to you. All these women have also been victims of his and other's advances within the Ministry and I want to start something to protect other women from being treated this way.

"Despite my best efforts, the Ministry is still mostly male. They're also mistaken in thinking a gender equality department isn't necessary," Aunt Hermione continued. "I want to start one to ensure no one else feels violated in the workplace."

The Ministry didn't have an equality department? I'd always just figured she put one in place the second she started working here. I had no doubt she'd tried, but you could only do so much on your own with a group of people who thought sexism was a dated thing.

"What do I need to do? I'm still in school," I reminded her, shifting awkwardly on my heels.

"I'm taking the case in front of the Wizengamot next month and I want you to speak," she told me, putting her hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "Your testimony will carry weight because of who you are, then with all these women behind the cause as well, we'll be unstoppable."

She'd beaten Voldemort, I had no doubt she'd win this as well. Watching her put this together showed me how brilliant she truly was. I had to do what I knew was right, regardless of it made me nervous or not.

"I want to be brave, I want to help," I answered, my voice only slightly shaky.

I knew doing this might end up with me losing my internship and being barred from ever being an Auror, but I knew I had to do it. Aunt Hermione was right, the Wizengamot would listen to us because of who we were. We'd give a platform to the group of women standing around me, and that's what they deserved. Teddy was right, I had to speak up.

Aunt Hermione smiled at me proudly and clapped her hands. "I'll speak with you after I get everything in order. Thank you so much, Victoire."

I hugged her and smiled at the other women before making my way over to the Floo system. I needed to get my Apparition License soon, these Floos were starting to get annoying.

* * *

Dominique was beyond excited when I told her what I was doing with Aunt Hermione. I knew maman would be, too. She was all about equality and woman being regarded as nothing less than equal to men. She was badass, fiercer than most of the men in the wizarding world.

"You're going to change the world, Vic!" Dom exclaimed, bouncing on her knees on her bed. "I'm so excited! I want to go to the Wizengamot when you present your case, I want to show my support!"

"Of course, I'm sure Aunt Hermione would love your support," I told her. "I'm going to go change, these heels are killing me."

I sat down on my bed and removed my heels, reaching behind myself to unzip my skirt. I was sliding the tight fabric down my hips when the pop of Apparition made me jump. Teddy was standing in the corner, eyeing me appreciatively with his fist in his mouth.

"Don't stop on my accord," he requested, sitting in my desk chair and gesturing for me to keep going.

I had on a lacy thong that matched my bra, I knew I'd be a sight to see. I really liked wearing pretty lingerie under my work clothes, it made me feel beautiful. Maman taught me all about the power of pretty knickers, and I lived my life with the motto: "Pretty knickers change live."

"Mhm, come here," he requested when I was wearing nothing but my knickers, bra, and his necklace.

He pulled me onto his lap and pressed our lips together. We snogged for a bit, his hands squeezing and rubbing my bum, making me whine in disappointment when he pulled back from me. He kissed my forehead and left his hands on my bum, just reclining in the chair.

"Guess what I did today?" I asked, running my fingers along the buttons of his dress shirt as I lounged on his lap.

His fingers were combing through my hair affectionately when he asked, "What, pretty girl?"

"I joined a revolution," I giggled, making his eyes flash open. "Why do I feel like that's your idea of dirty talk?"

He laughed and shook his head, "I think you remember my idea of dirty talk. It wasn't that long ago when we were in my bed."

I shivered at the memory, my thighs trying their best to clench… but I was straddling his lap and couldn't. Teddy felt the tension in my body and laughed, but it was ragged. I leaned forward and kissed the side of his neck, biting him just a hair away from painful.

"Tell me about your revolution, then we'll snog," he said, tilting my head back. "You know what that pout does to me, love."

I sighed and told him all about what Aunt Hermione and I talked about. Then I told him about Kingsley and the promise he made to me. I said I was afraid the Wizengamot case would interfere with my internship, but I was tired of being quiet. I was going to be brave and let the cards fall where they may.

"You're my hero," he praised, rubbing my lower back sweetly. "I'm so proud of you, Victoire."

"Proud enough to make me cum?" I asked cheekily, biting my lip as I looked at him with big eyes.

He stood up from the chair and tossed me backward onto my bed. I squealed and he cast a silencing charm before unbuttoning his shirt and tugging it from his trousers to toss onto my floor. I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra, tossing it to the floor and moving my fingers under the waistband of my knickers.

"No, I want those," he told me, dropping his trousers and crawling into bed with me.

He kissed up from one ankle and then down the other. I slid my fingers back in his hair and brought him up for a kiss. His hand pushed under my knickers and played with my clit softly while his kisses moved down to my nipples. He licked and sucked until they were stiff and I was moaning wantonly.

"I want to do something new," he told me, moving his hand out of my knickers and pulling them down my hips to join our other clothes. "If you're uncomfortable, let me know."

I nodded, curious about what he was about to do. Then he started kissing my belly, working them down to my waistline and kissing each of my hipbones. Oh, I had an idea what he was going to do now. I'd heard from Addie it was brilliant, but the thought of someone so close to my lady bits made me a little uncomfortable.

"Merlin, 'toire, you smell brilliant," he praised breathily, kissing my inner thighs. "I bet you taste even better."

I swallowed thickly and slid my fingers into his hair before I told him boldly, "Why don't you find out?"

"Fuck," he swore then flicked his tongue against my clit.

I couldn't stay quiet as he charted out every single inch of the place only I'd seen before him. My thighs were clenching around his head fiercely, so he parted them and held them open with his hands.

A wild hair took me and I started pinching and pulling my nipples like Teddy did. A surprised moan left my lips when it increased the pressure building in my stomach. My sudden noise made Teddy look up and moan against me, making my hips cant after his mouth.

I wasn't in control of my grinding hips anymore, and Teddy seemed to love it. My control was something I kept a tight grip on, but I always seemed to lose it when I was alone with him. My stomach was tightening and I knew what that meant.

He moved his mouth down and started lapping at my entrance with his thumb rubbing my clit. I cried out his name as my orgasm crashed down on me suddenly. I watched him licking me clean and shivered when he moved his kisses up before I yanked him down into a demanding kiss.

My taste was still sharp on his tongue, but it only my orgasm a bit sweeter as it kept crashing through me. Shivers were still wracking my spine when I rolled him onto his back. Our tongues were crashing together, the kiss sloppy and spine-tingling at the same time.

I didn't break it when I pushed his underwear off, held him in my hand. He thrust up and pulled away from the kiss to start stuttering out apologies. I rolled my eyes and scattered kisses around his chest and worked my way down.

"Mhm, so handsome," I cooed, tracing my fingers down the trail of hair on his lower stomach.

Then I pressed kisses to his hipbones like he'd done to me, except I nibbled a mark onto one. I loved how vocal he was with me, losing his calmness at the gentle touch of my hand. Then I lifted and held him at the base, pressing a kiss to his tip.

"Victoire," he breathed, sliding his fingers back into my hair to move it from my face so he could see me.

"I want you to watch me. Don't look away," I instructed in a seductive voice. "Promise me you won't look away."

"Anything, sweetheart," he agreed, his eyes holding mine as I parted my lips and took his tip into my mouth. "'toire, fuck."

I lowered myself as far down as I could go and sucked as I lifted back up. I'd never given a blowjob before, but I'd heard Addie and Jade talking about them and Anth talking about what he liked. With my hand pumping in time with my mouth, I started working him over.

"Yes, just like that," her told me, his thumb stroking my cheek. "God, you look so good like this."

I hummed in agreement and he called out my name in surprise. Huh, that was something I needed to remember. Sucking on him made me feel sexy, I felt almost like the goddess he always told me I was. He'd done as I asked, his eyes never left me, but his mouth was absolutely _filthy_.

"Your mouth is brilliant, baby," he said, his voice breathy. "Fucking hell, you are the most brilliant person. You suck my cock so good, it feels so amazing."

His words were making my stomach burn along with my cheeks. I couldn't imagine doing anything like this with someone else, it was far too intimate. I don't know why this felt more intimate than us grinding together on his bed until we both cum, but it did.

"Pretty girl, I'm close," he warned, making me flash my eyes up to him without stopping.

I had a minor freak out, I really didn't want it in my mouth. Then I made a decision and went with it, hoping it worked like I wanted. I remembered the way he pulsed when he was about to cum and waited until I felt that in my mouth and pulled off, thankful I timed it right.

I moved up his body and pressed my chest against his, my mouth by his ear as my hand kept pumping. "Don't forget how good I am at making you cum, wild boy. Nobody else makes you this hard or you mouth this fucking filthy, cum for me."

He let out a strangled cry as he did what I asked, hitting my thighs and his belly from our position. I kept gripping him until his moan sounded a bit weak and released him. His mouth was claiming mine fiercely as he moved his legs up to cage me against his body.

"You aren't real, you can't be real," he told me in a quiet voice, his heart still thundering between our chests. "Goddamn, Victoire, I really fucking love you. I'm going to marry you one day, I swear to fucking God."

I laughed and made myself comfortable on his chest after I moved to straddle him. Then I realized his cum was really close to between my legs. Even if it was dumb, I used my wand to cast a contraceptive charm and cleaned us up. Better safe than sorry, honestly. My life was just starting to fall into place, I didn't want a kid.

"Can we stay like this forever?" he asked in a small voice, his hands resting on my bum and my back. "I'm serious, I don't ever want to move."

He was being so vulnerable and sweet to me, it made my heart ache. He was always good to me, but this side of him was new. There were no boundaries between us, I felt like I could see his soul surrounding us. Then I realized it was actually our magic twining together.

"Ted, look at that!" I exclaimed, lifting my head enough that he could see too. "It's our magic."

"Of course your magic is beautiful," he mused, kissing my chin. "I would expect nothing less."

Mine was shimmery gold and his was the color of his hair, both glittering and twining together to cocoon us inside. I tucked my head under his chin and ran my fingers over his sides, kissing his collarbone. We would have to get up soon because my parents would be home, but I wanted to lay in this bubble of serenity as long as possible.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed! Maybe tell me what you thought about it in a review of something?**


	22. Chapter 22

**This chapter is shorter than all the rest because I cut it off before it got too long.**

 **New translation!**

Je savais que tu pouvais le faire! Je suis si fier de toi, ma colombe -I knew you could do it! I am so proud of you, my dove

* * *

"So, you've sucked cock and joined a revolution since we've seen you?" Anth questioned from his place on my floor. "It's like I don't even recognize you anymore!"

I rolled my eyes and took another bite of the pizza laying on the bed between me and Bat. She and I were laying on our backs with Jade in my desk chair and Addie on the other pillow on my floor by Anth. I felt like I hadn't seen my friends in ages as the summer drew to a close, I wanted as much friend time as possible before things became hectic. Seventh year was going to be killer, I already knew it.

"I felt like such a badass when I did it. He was so appreciative and sweet after," I grinned, making Anth gag dramatically. "Just because you're not getting off with anyone doesn't mean you can be an ass to me!"

That made the girls start giggling hysterically, Anth joining soon after because it _was_ pretty funny. "I want to hear more about this revolution you're joining."

"Aunt Hermione is trying to start a gender equality department at the Ministry because so many women have experienced sexual harassment there," I explained, sitting up so they could all hear me. "Mauver, the deputy head of the Wizard Law Department, eyed me up and totally sexualized me when I went to a meeting with him a few weeks ago. He basically implied I was guaranteed an internship if I did _things_ with him. I told Teddy and he told Ron and Harry, and it got back to Mauver so he sent me a letter saying I was 'too immature to work in the Ministry because I gossiped too much.'

"I was upset and we argued over it, but he made me realize I still needed to fight for my internship. I went back and met with Kingsley, who swore he'd find me an internship," I continued, crossing my legs under me. "Aunt Hermione caught me on the way out with a group of other women who'd been harassed within the Ministry. I'm going to testify in front of the Wizengamot soon on my experience. I know I'm risking my internship and possible Auror position, but I can't let this slide anymore. Other girls might not be as resilient as me."

"You're a regular Wonder Woman, Victoire Weasley!" Jade teased, making me hit her with a pillow. "Hey, I'm serious! I'm very impressed."

"So, are you going to shag Teddy before you go away to Hogwarts?" Bat asked after the pizza was gone and we were just hanging out.

I'd been thinking about that for the last few days. Since we'd gotten each other off in my room, I felt so incredibly close to him. The idea of having sex didn't scare me as much as it did in the beginning, it actually excited me a little bit.

"I've been giving it serious thought," I told them, making Addie squeal and bounce on her pillow. "I have to use that killer nighty Jade bought me soon!"

"Victoire! Your Hogwartz letter haz arrived!" maman shouted up to me. "It iz heavy! You muzt be a Prefect again!"

I got off my bed with my friends trailing behind me as I went downstairs. Maman was right, it was heavier than usual and my eyebrows knitted together. I popped the wax seal and pulled out the supply list, making a badge flutter down onto the kitchen table.

"Oh, my god! I got Head Girl!" I cried, picking up the badge and staring at it in pure surprise. "I can't believe it! Maman, look!"

"Je savais que tu pouvais le faire! Je suis si fier de toi, ma colombe!" maman cried, wrapping her arms around me in a proud hug. "Alzo, you can ztay wiz Teddy zis weekend az long az you're zafe."

"Merci, maman!" I replied, kissing both her cheeks. Then quietly I added, "I know to be careful, Teddy would never let me forget the charm."

My maman was so cool, I was thankful for her. She was so proud when I told her about my plan with Aunt Hermione, she Disapparated us to Paris on the spot with Dominique in tow. We ate at my favorite café and went shopping for hours before we came back to find dad and Louis making dinner.

"I can't wait to tell dad!" I said, sitting on the couch with my friends while maman sat in a chair. "He's going to be so happy! Oh, my goodness, I can't wait to tell Teddy! He's going to be so proud!"

Anth and Bat had a field day with that, teasing the hell out of me. Maman laughed along with my friends at my expense, and I just rolled my eyes. I was excited to make the main guys in my life proud of me. Was that a crime?

* * *

I owled Teddy about my good news and he insisted he take me out on a date as celebration. I knew that night I was going to lose my virginity to him, I made the decision the second I saw how excited he was for me. His normally neat and even script was sloppy as he tried to get all his praises written down at once. Godric, I really loved that boy.

"Maman, can we talk?" I asked after dinner one night while Dom was with friends and dad was getting Louis to sleep.

"Of courze, ma colombe, What iz wrong?" she asked, lowering her magazine and giving me all her attention.

"Nothing's wrong, maman. I think this weekend is really going to happen," I told her cryptically. "What do I need to be prepared for?"

"I figure you two haz done zings before?" she asked, making me nod sheepishly with pink cheeks. "Ze mozt important zing to remember iz to never accept lezz zan all hiz respect, but I don't zink zat will be a problem wiz Teddy."

"I really love him so much, maman," I told her, my voice almost dreamy as I said it. "I know this is what I want, I haven't told him yet. I want it to be a surprise."

Maman laughed and hugged me, her expression proud. "I am zo proud of you, ma colombe. You and your ziblings are everyzing I ever wanted. You're zee best zing I ever did."

My smile was watery when I hugged her, trying my best to not cry. There was something so humbling about your parents praising you like that. I was a part of her and dad, Gram said she saw each of them in me all the time. I was incredibly proud to be the daughter of two badasses, even if it made me work harder to live up to their legacies.

"I'm so glad you're my mother," I whispered against her shoulder. "You make me stronger just being in my life."

This wasn't meant to turn into a mushy moment between me and maman, but I was glad it did. I felt like she and I were drifting apart as I got older and started doing more things. I knew I wouldn't be who I am without her and dad, and I was eternally grateful.

* * *

Teddy Flooed to the house right as it was getting dark on Saturday. I heard him and dad bragging about me when I came down the stairs and rolled my eyes at them. I was wearing heels so I couldn't tuck myself under Teddy's chin like I wanted. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his happily.

"There she is," he grinned, taking my hand and slowly spinning me around. "You are gorgeous, Victoire. I am such a lucky bloke you chose to love me."

Dad dipped out of the room, but I saw him smiling -that was progress. "It wasn't much of a choice, Ted. I've loved you my whole life, we just took a while to figure it out."

His voice was pitched low as his hand moved dangerously close to my bum in my parents' living room. "You are straight out of my dreams, 'toire. I would like to write to the maker of your dress and pledge my undying gratitude because your ass looks phenomenal."

His hand dropped down to hold my bum when he Disapparated. The second we landed on the sidewalk, I slapped his shoulder playfully and huffed.

"That was very cheeky of you, holding my bum in the middle of my living room," I said quietly, kissing the corner of his jaw. "Naughty almost."

He laughed gruffly, his arm tucking around my shoulders to hold me close as he led the way to the restaurant. "You make me naughty, you're sex on legs, my beautiful goddess girlfriend."

I was beaming when we sat down, eyeing Teddy for the first time since I came downstairs. I know I talked about how handsome he was a lot, but I couldn't get over it. The asshole knew what rolling his sleeves up to his elbows did to my insides and took advantage of it as much as possible. The bowtie he had on should've looked dorky, but in reality, it looked like he'd just stepped off the cover of a magazine.

"You look like you'd rather have me than anything on the menu, love," Teddy mused, pulling me out of my fantasy. "Not that I disagree, but you need to eat so you have your strength for when you ravage me later."

I snorted on my wine, nearly shooting it out my nose at that. Teddy almost choked on his wine in response, smiling at me. We were much too dorky to be at this restaurant. It was fancy and the food smelled wonderful, I was surprised Teddy brought me here. He wasn't a big fan of fancy things, he was too casual for them -but he wanted to spoil me and who was I to deny him of that?

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Je veux que tu lèche, suce, et que je me fasse crier -I want you to lick, suck, and make me scream**

 **...enough said**

* * *

Being held close by Teddy was addicting, I might never get my Apparition license. I expected us to land in his room, I was surprised when I saw him living room when I opened my eyes. The flat was silent, we were alone.

"Hi," he smiled, sliding the back of his knuckles along my cheek gently. "We don't have to do anything tonight, Victoire. Just because you're going back to Hogwarts. You know I'll be waiting for you."

"But I want to have sex with you," I replied, my lips pursed out in a playful pout. "Is that okay?"

He outright moaned when I said that and closed his eyes. "Fuck, yes. That's more than okay."

I laughed and reluctantly pulled out of his embrace. "Go to your room, I'll find you in a second. I have to freshen up."

His expression was dazed as he did as I asked, heading into his room as I went to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and pulled the pins out of my hair, sending my curls tumbling down. Then I took off my dress and kicked off my heels, changing into the nighty I'd been dying to share with him for months.

It looked even better on me now than it did the first time I tried it on in my room. I'm sure the pleased blush on my cheeks had something to do with it, but I digress. I vanished off my makeup, wanting to look like myself.

I shrank my dress and heels down to fit in my bag and stashed it in the corner of the bathroom. Then I took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door, walking into Teddy's room with him. My eyes landed on him, taking in his response with a pleased grin.

"Victoire," he gasped, putting down the Snitch he was messing with and walking over to me slowly. "I am the luckiest bloke in all of Europe. Strike that, I'm the luckiest bloke in all of the world. You cannot be real."

I grinned at his praise, twirling around so he got the full effect of the lingerie. "I wanted to look special tonight."

"Mission accomplished," he told me distractedly. "I don't know where to touch, there's so many places worthy of being the first. I don't want to take it off you."

"Then let's get your clothes off, yeah?" I suggested as I untied his bowtie and unbuttoned his top.

I unzipped his trousers and pushed them off with his boxer briefs following suit. Then I lowered myself to my knees and slid my mouth over him, engulfing his tip as far down as I could go without stopping. I'd never heard anyone swear that colorfully before as his fingers slid back into my hair, pulling on it.

I moaned around him at the feeling, clenching my thighs together. Hair pulling was definitely something I wanted to explore more of with him. Reading my reaction, his fingers tightened a fraction more and I whimpered wantonly. He fell from my lips when I stood up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Pull my hair like that and I'll do anything you want," I told him, kissing his lips fiercely.

He lifted me and tossed me onto his bed, making me giggle and spread out leisurely. Everything about this felt comfortable, we had all night to make this the best experience possible.

I didn't think my belly could grow any tighter, but then I looked up at Teddy's face. He was staring down at me with fire in his eyes, his hair flaming red on his head. He was completely naked and holding his length, giving it a few strokes when our eyes met.

My sound wasn't one I'd ever made before as I motioned for him to come to me. He did anxiously, nearly knocking over a stack of books on the floor in the process and making me laugh. There was my clumsy boy.

"Good, I thought I lost my wild boy," I murmured against his lips as he held my face.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I'm trying to make this romantic and sweet, but you're so fucking sexy I can't think straight," he told me, moving back so he was looking at me again. "Slow me down when I go too fast, I don't want to rush this."

"Maybe go a little slower and just a pinch sweeter?" I asked, licking my lips. "As sweet as you can be when you pull my hair and manhandle me wherever you want me anyway."

Instead of responding to that, he started kissing down my throat and across my collarbone. He moved the cup on my nighty down and wrapped his lips around a nipple. I keened and hooked a leg over his hip so I brushed against his bare hardness.

The sudden feeling made him gasp and thrust forward, sliding against my thigh. "Shit, 'toire, you're already so wet."

I rolled him underneath me instead of responding and reached behind my back, but I couldn't reach the clasp. I'd done it up with magic, so Teddy was going to have to take it off for me. I maneuvered myself around until I was facing the end of the bed with my back to him.

"Can you take this off? I can't reach the clasp," I asked, feeling him sit up and slide me until I was fully seated on his lap.

I felt his hands shake a little as they tried to undo the delicate clasps, and it made me pump the breaks for a second. I moved back around to face him and hold his hands in mine, pressing sweet kisses to his knuckles.

"It's me who should be nervous, so why are you shaking?" I asked softly. "I'm going to love everything you do to me, I promise, because I love you."

He let out a shaky breath and laid his forehead against my chest. "I don't want to ruin this, I want your first time to be spectacular, Victoire."

"Silly boy," I tutted, running my fingers through his hair and kissing his head. "It's going to be spectacular, don't be nervous."

He kissed over my heart and lifted his head off me, moving me around in his lap again with my back to him. He brushed my hair over my shoulder and kissed a line across to the other, turning the air in the room from charged to sweet in a movement.

His fingers were steady as they undid the clasp and unlaced the bodice this time, kissing a line down my spine. The fabric went lax around me, sliding off my shoulders and falling to the floor. Teddy kissed the entire expanse of my bared skin, lying me flat on my belly against his bed.

The kisses slid down to my waist, scattered across my bum bared by my thong, down the tops of my thighs, all the way to my heels where he kissed, too. I rolled over after that, practically glowing from all the praise. The kisses were scattered over my front now, starting at my lips and working down my body.

"Can I take these off?" he asked, sliding his finger under the band of my thong.

"Always," I promised, unable to stop my gooey smile. "I love you."

The thong was added to our clothes on the floor; we were naked together. He parted my legs and kissed my inner thighs, licking and sucking marks into them that had me pulling his hair. His fingers moved up and parted my folds, exposing me completely to his roving eyes. Teddy's kisses were lethal, even when they were between my thighs. He kissed my clit repeatedly, making me laugh and chide him.

"I don't want you to kiss it," I told him playfully.

He lifted and smirked at me, his lips shiny and making my cheeks blush. "Oh yeah? What do you want me to do with it?"

I whined, but he wasn't budging. I wasn't as good at dirty talk as him; I only ever tried when I wasn't looking at his face. His amber gaze had me chewing my lip, trying to figure out what to say to him. Then, all at once, I had the perfect idea.

"Je veux que tu lèche, suce, et que je me fasse crier, Teddy," I requested in a sultry voice, watching his eyes roll back in his head.

He moaned and told me, "I have no idea what you said, but I'm gonna eat you out until you scream."

Then he started doing as I asked and I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I was thankful we were alone in his flat because he was doing things that had me gasping for breath. When he pushed a finger into me, I cried out his name and spread my legs further to give him more room. Both my hands were holding his head with my back arched, begging him with my body to make me cum.

He had two fingers in me now, searching for the spot that had me near tears. When he found it, I felt my eyes burn as a scream left my lips that I would've blushed at if I wasn't so wound up. His hair was clutched in my hands when I finally burst, crying out his name as tears slid past my clenched eyelids.

His tongue kept sliding over my clit until I pushed him back, collapsing back against the bed, boneless. He kissed up my body and swiped my tears off my cheeks, kissing both my eyelids and my chin. When I finally looked at him, Teddy looked incredibly chuffed with himself.

"I didn't know you could make noises like that, my sweet girl," he teased, lying beside me and brushing his fingers through my hair soothingly. "Did I do what you asked?"

I forced myself to roll onto my side and look at him. "Yes, everything I asked for and more. I want you inside me now. S'il vous plaît?"

"Oui, mon amour," he replied, making me grin at him proudly. "Anything you want, sweetheart."

I laid on my back again and he moved on top of me, balancing with his forearms on either side of my head. He had one hand positioned where he could stroke my face, jolting a bit when I took him in my hand and pressed him against my entrance.

"Shit, we have to go slow because I'm already right on the edge just brushing against you like this," he warned me. "God, I want this so much, want you so much."

I nodded, feeling him push inside me and moving my hand to grip his side. He stayed true to his words, pushing the rest of the way into me until his pelvis was pressed to my hips. I'm glad he paused because I needed a minute to process what was happening.

I'd never felt this full in my entire life, he was stretching me just the right way. It was like I could feel every ridge on him. He was so warm and hard, making me clench around him experimentally to see what happened.

"Shit, 'toire, sweetheart, don't do that yet. I haven't made you cum," he said in a labored voice, opening his eyes to look down at me. "Can I move?"

"S'il vous plait, Teddy," I answered, my nails digging into his back eagerly.

He pulled out and pressed all the way back in, making me gasp at the sensation. A choked laugh left his lips before he moved his hand from my hair to rub my clit. I squeaked in surprise, lifting my hips to press against his. We moved together fluidly until he pulled out too much and slipped out of me, my hands eagerly grasped him and pushed him back inside a second later.

"Don't stop!" I begged, moving my hand up to hold the back of his neck with our foreheads pressed together. "Please, Ted, don't stop."

"Never," he promised, shifting down a bit to hit that spot from earlier.

I gasped out, "There!"

I rested one of my legs around his hip, but he wasn't pleased with that. "Can you rub your clit for me?"

I nodded and took over, rubbing quicker than him and gasping again. He lifted my leg and pressed it against my chest, causing me to cry out. Everything felt deeper and tighter, the friction burning me from the inside out.

"Teddy, I'm gonna cum," I breathed, catching his amber gaze as I rubbed my clit. "Godric, I'm right there."

"Cum for me, love. Godric, please," he begged, pulsing inside me.

That triggered it and I felt like I detonated, my hand still rubbing my clit as my nails raked down Teddy's side. My back was arched and I cried out his name embarrassingly loud, but I didn't miss how loud his moan of mine was as he followed me over.

His arms gave out and he collapsed on top of me, but I bore his weight happily. Aftershocks were still rolling through me, but I'd never felt better. His warmth was soaking into me as I ran my finger through his hair and he hummed against my collarbone.

Eventually, he moved off me enough to get his wand and cast a contraception charm before cleaning us up. He came back over to me, lying with his head on my chest again. I made myself comfortable in his bed, burrowing under the covers with him in my arms.

"I love you so much," I whispered to him in the still of the room. "Tonight was spectacular, wild boy."

* * *

 **There won't be many more chapters of this story, maybe two, so I hope you've enjoyed!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, this is the last chapter. Thanks for reading and sticking with the story, I really appreciate the support! I hope you enjoy the final installment of Moonlight.**

* * *

Teddy's heart beating steadily against my back greeted me when I woke up the next morning. His chest was to my back and I could feel him breathing in time with me, our chest rising and falling together.

I was a bit sore between my legs and my muscles ached a little, but I'd never felt so content in my life. I could tell by the relaxation in Teddy's long limbs he was still asleep, so I turned over to look at him. Merlin, he was even more handsome when he was sleeping -I didn't even know that was possible.

His hair was turquoise against the navy pillowcase and lips were tilted in a small smile. He had such broad shoulders, his muscles were lean and relaxed under the light-colored sheet. I marveled at the gentleness he gave me when he touched me, he could do such strong things and I knew it. It made me think back to him telling me how much my gentle caresses got to him, a shiver finding my spine. I understood what he meant now, there was control in those actions.

I traced my fingers over the lines of his face, starting with his brows and working my way down. I outlined his full lips, his slightly-crooked nose, the sharpness of his jaw -it all came together to make a beautiful man. _My_ beautiful man.

My finger was resting on his lower lip when he nipped at it with his teeth, his eyes opening lazily. They were soft and his expression was warm, completely open and vulnerable to me. I felt my warm quickly in response to his actions.

"Hi," I whispered.

He kissed my finger tip and whispered back when I moved my hand, "Hi."

Like I figured he would, he moved me to lay on his chest again. I tucked my head under his chin and hummed as he ran his fingers along the ridges of my spine. The moment was heavy with contentment, I never wanted to leave it… then my stomach growled.

Teddy laughed gruffly and sat up, standing with me wrapped around his waist. "Teddy! Your roommates are here now! I can't go into your kitchen starkers!"

He laughed and told me, "They're not here. Malik's in Istanbul on business and Ryland's at Ellery's. I have the flat for the entire weekend."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, too. "In that case, take me to the kitchen and make me waffles!"

Teddy laughed and did just that, packing me into the kitchen and sitting me at the table. I huffed and followed him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I pressed myself to his back and kissed his skin while he mixed the batter with his wand, moaning vocally.

I rested my hands on his belly and ran my nails through the trail of hair at the bottom. Even if it was only Teddy and me in the flat, I felt too exposed being this naked so I kissed his jaw before disappearing back into his room. I pulled on the spare knickers I brought with me and his button down from last night, bringing him pajama pants.

"Too hard to resist am I?" he asked, pulling the pants on and looking at me. "Holy harpies, Victoire, you're fucking beautiful."

My cheeks heated up and I twisted the bottom of his shirt nervously. "Shut up."

He flicked his wand and sent the finished waffles over to the table before coming over to me. He took my face in his hands and made me look up at him. His hair was bubblegum pink and his eyes were shiny, his smile so blinding it made one of my own sprout on my lips.

"Don't fall in love with some other bloke while you're away at Hogwarts, yeah?" he asked, hugging me close.

"Never," I promised, pulling back enough to press our lips together.

* * *

Somehow, I convinced Teddy to take me shopping for my school things. Maman agreed easily, she had enough on her plate wrangling Louis while she took Dom. Also, by some stroke of luck, I got Teddy to agree to meeting my friends for lunch at The Leaky Cauldron after we finished shopping. I'm pretty sure he was just giving me whatever I wanted because I was leaving soon and he wanted me to be happy, but I wasn't going to push things too far.

I'd bought my required books and stocked up my potions' kit, and Teddy insisted on packing everything. By the time we got to Leaky, I was bouncing. It didn't matter I was going to spend the year with them, I loved hanging out with my friends. And I got to bring my boyfriend and best friend! That made it even better!

Adelaide's inky black hair beside Anth's honey blonde mop was easily distinguishable. I was about to rush over to them when I saw her lay her head on his shoulder. I hit Teddy's chest with the back of my hand repeatedly, pointing at the two of them. Then Anth dropped a kiss to the top of her hair, and I couldn't keep in my squeal.

Both of them turned around and found me watching, but their reactions were different. Addie grinned and Anth rolled his eyes and laid his head against the tabletop. I dropped Teddy's hand and ran over to the table, figuring he'd follow behind. I had snooping to do.

"What? When did this happen?" I asked, sitting down eagerly.

"Uhm, a few weeks ago?" Addie answered, looking over at Anth. "My parents were fighting pretty badly, so I went over to his place. One thing led to another and we shagged, and now we're sort of trying out a relationship."

"I'm so happy for you!" I cried, sliding over a bit so Teddy could sit beside me. "You guys know Teddy obviously. Ted, you know Addie and Anth as well."

"Hey," he said, nodding at them as he rested his hand on my knee under the table. "How've you been?"

"Things have been a little rocky, but I think they're starting to right themselves," Anth answered. "What about you? How's curse breaking?"

The two of them started talking about that, making the last bit of tension in Teddy's shoulders evaporate. He'd been nervous my friends wouldn't like him after what happened my fifth year. It didn't matter how many times I reassured him they would adore him, he never believed me. I think was starting to know though.

Bat and Jade joined us soon and we ordered, my stomach growling insistently until our food finally floated over to us. I was in the middle of destroying my chicken, making Teddy snicker, when Bat started talking.

"We're best mates with the Head Girl. We can get away with everything!" she cried. "I know we already talked about this. I just remembered and got happy all over again."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Don't do anything to get me expelled or have my badge stripped from me."

"So, that means streaking through the castle is off limits?" Jade asked seriously.

I thought it over for a couple seconds before I said, "After the final NEWT. Fully starkers through the entry hall. All in?"

"Obviously."

"Duh!"

"Anything that reminds people I'm a bloke."

"Sure."

I snorted at Anth's response, nobody ever forgot he was a bloke. He just had to remind everyone he was the only dude in a group of girls all the time for his own pesky masculinity. Teddy's laughter at the thought of us streaking through the castle broke through, making me turn to look at him.

"Is there something you find funny?" I asked, flashing him a pointed look.

"I've heard of a lot of pranks from Hogwarts. My dad was a Marauder after all, but I don't think anyone's ever streaked through the castle," he answered with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm kind of impressed you thought of it."

I kissed his jaw sweetly before going back to my chicken and my friends.

* * *

The Platform was weird, this was my last first day of school and maman was trying her best not to cry. She'd hugged me a billion times before I finally pulled away, then she started fussing over Dominique. Dad kissed my forehead and pulled me in for a hug.

"Congratulations, love," he whispered. "I'm so proud you're following in my footsteps."

I grinned and gave him a real hug, letting him lift me off my feet and spin me around like I was a little girl again. After the summer I'd gone through, the little girl in me was long gone and I was kind of happy and kind of sad at the same time. I'd done a lot of growing up and a lot of maturing, I was thankful for the change though. I just wasn't so thankful for the catalyst that caused it all.

"I've got to go help first years," I told him, spelling my trunk onto the train. "I love you all! I'll see you at Christmas!"

I busied myself with my duties and helping confused or scared kids. I reassured parents of their children's safety. I even helped wrangle an escaped cat back into it's carrier when a fourth year accidently let it out.

I was almost ready to toss myself in front of the Express when a familiar turquoise head peeked through the throng of people. Harvey Flannery, the Head Boy, was doing the same as me and trying to wrangle everyone onto the train. I got his attention and told him I was going to take a little break, and after only a couple seconds of stammering on his part, he agreed.

"Oh, you look sexy in your Head Girl badge," Teddy praised, eyeing me up and down as I approached him. "And I can finally tell you how much that skirt with those socks drive me mad."

I huffed playfully, turning my nose up at him. "And to think you could've had me years ago in them, but you were too much of a prat."

He growled and drug me behind one of the brick beams of the station, effectively blocking anyone's view of us. His hands slid under my skirt to grip my bum tight as his mouth found mine. He wasted no time claiming it with his tongue as he moved one hand down my thigh to lift it up to his hip.

"Ted, the train leaves in five minutes," I gasped when he broke to kiss to bite at my neck. "I have to go."

"Not yet," he replied, effectively silencing me once more by slapping my bum cheekily. "I want to give you something to remember me by."

"Oi, tart, come on! The train's leaving soon!" Bat said from the other side of the beam. "I'm serious, Head Girl. Put your bits away and come on!"

He grunted but let me go, stepping back and smoothing down my hair for me as I righted my skirt. Teddy's hands cupped my jaw and I looked back up at him, his smile making my face heat up.

"I love you, 'toire," he said quietly. "You remember the secret passage I showed you your first year, yeah?"

"The one that leads to Hogsmeade?" I asked. When he nodded, I continued, "Yeah… What about it?"

His eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned down to whisper, "We'll make good use of it and your weekends, pretty girl."

My cheeks were absolutely on fire when he pulled back and kissed me a final time before Bat came over and drug me away from Teddy. She lead the way back to the Engine before turning, pointing her wand at my neck, and making my skin tingle.

"You had a helluva hickey, sis," she teased.

I cursed Teddy under my breath and thanked Bat before going to the compartment with Harvey and the Prefects. I easily fell into leader mode when all their eyes landed on me, instructing them to patrol the train the first and last half hour of the ride. Then we made plans to meet after dinner to construct a timetable for rounds and dispersed.

"Thanks for covering for me," I told Harvey, leaving back against the train car door. "I'm really glad you're Head Boy. I know you're really smart and aren't going to treat me like some doll or do whatever I say because I'm pretty. I really appreciate that."

He may be a little nervous sometimes around me, but he treated me like any other girl. He was just nervous around all of them.

"You're beautiful, but you're smart and equipped for this job, too," he finally said, his cheeks burning.

I decided to go easy on him and replied, "Thank you so much. I'll see you at the castle."

Then I did a full round through the train before finding my friends. I sat between Bat and Jade, jumping when I was bombarded with questions all at once.

"Whoa, I can't answer all those at once!"

"Did you do it? Are you still a virgin?" Jade asked for all of them.

I shook my head and they all erupted into cheers. "Hush! I can't very well get in trouble on the train ride to school! It's my first day as Head Girl!"

"I can't believe you shagged him!" Anth said at a more reasonable volume. "You really pulled some cliché shit, V."

I frowned at him and crossed my arms over my chest indignantly. "Shut up! I had sex with him because I love him! It just happened to be right before I left for school."

"How was it?" Jade asked, tucking her feet under her.

My sour look was immediately replaced with a happy smile, my teeth biting into my bottom lip coyly, "Spectacular."

It was quiet for a beat before Bat finally said, "I feel like we missed something."

It felt wrong to tell them intimate details from that night, it was something that would stay between me and Teddy… mostly. "He was kind of nervous it wouldn't be spectacular… but it was."

"Why was he nervous? Teddy Lupin was far from a virgin before you," Anth remarked, making Addie thump his chest. "What? It's the truth!"

"Oh, yeah, because you weren't a nervous wreck the first time we shagged or anything!" Addie teased, making Anth's cheeks turn red as he looked down at his lap. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now, V, continue."

"There's not much else to say. He was nervous because I was a virgin and he wanted it to be perfect," I explained, tucking my legs under me and shedding my robes to get comfortable. "I promised him that was stupid, I just wanted it to be real. Things were pretty awesome after that… plus he was over the moon about with the nighty."

"You're welcome," Jade beamed, making me roll my eyes.

We started talking about the upcoming year and all the things we were looking forward to along with the things we were dreading. Everything started to feel normal, like every other train ride back to Hogwarts. I didn't miss Teddy quite yet, but I knew that would sink in tonight when I was in my bed alone and wouldn't be able to see him tomorrow… but, then again, a full moon was coming soon and I knew exactly where the secret passage was.


End file.
